San Diego City Wire

A once stray, terrified, shy, and skinny black pit bull mix dog found her personality in a County Animal Services foster care placement and now has a new family who loves and treasures her. Rita, now 2 years old, has her forever family.

She is enjoying car rides with her new “sisters,” playing at the dog run, has lots of new toys, and even borrows cute hair bows from her humans.

Rita’s story is a shining example of why foster care is so important for shelter animals. Some animals just shrink away and become stressed out in a shelter environment but thrive when placed in a home with a loving person.

When Rita’s now forever family saw her picture online, they asked to meet her. At that meeting they fell in love with her personality and adopted her that day. But if she had never gone into foster care, she might not have presented herself as well.

With only days left until the Clear the Shelters campaign ends on Sept. 10, County Animal Services is reminding would-be forever families that there are lots of beautiful dogs like Rita, along with cats, rabbits, pigs and other animals waiting for their happily ever after. The County’s Bonita and Carlsbad shelters are waiving adoption fees on all animals since Aug. 10 to give the pets their best chance to find homes.

Browse the County shelters’ online animal listings on the Adoptions page; you may find a new love or two to bring into your family. Due to the popularity of this adoption special, Animal Services staff recommend picking out a second and third choice too, just in case your first choice is already adopted.

Not everyone is in a position where adoption is an option, but everyone can help by learning about our fostering program.

Adoption fees are always waived for senior adopters, senior pets and pets that have been waiting for their forever home for 30 days or more.

Walk-in hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday at both the South Shelter at 5821 Sweetwater Road in Bonita or the North Shelter at 2481 Palomar Airport Road in Carlsbad.