WILDOMAR, CA — Third District Supervisor Chuck Washington recently toured the Animal Friends of the Valley’s campus in Wildomar, drawing attention to the new low-cost spay/neuter animal clinic being constructed alongside the shelter.
“This non-profit organization has been helping our Southwest Riverside County pets for over 28 years,” Washington shared on his Facebook page in a social media post. “They are dedicated to promoting humane care of animals through education and pro-active animal services.”
Animal Friends of the Valleys is building a more permanent solution for spaying and neutering appointments near the campus and is still fundraising that effort, they say.
In the long term, they will be able to provide services to many more animals across Southwest Riverside County with the addition of the clinic, according to the supervisor.
“The upcoming expansion will allow for more services to be rendered, and therefore, more lives to be saved,” Washington said.
Animal Friends of the Valleys is dedicated to providing a haven for all animals and offering quality and affordable care. Still, shelter officials say community financial support is needed to complete the facility on schedule.
“Every dollar counts. Your contribution will be forever etched in the community,” a recent AFV news release said.
Once open, the clinic next to the AFV shelter at 33751 Mission Trail will care for Southwest Riverside County pets. AFV has served the area since 1987.
“In 2022, AFV veterinarians performed nearly 13,000 shelter and community low-cost pet spay/neuter surgeries, yet the demand continues to rise,” according to the news release. “The new AFV clinic will be able to double its surgeries and vaccinations from the old clinic in Lake Elsinore. Our goal is to unite the AFV shelter and clinic campuses to make it more convenient for the six cities we serve [Canyon Lake, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Murrieta, Temecula, and Wildomar].”
The new clinic will include modern procedure rooms and equipment and increased capacity, according to the release.
AFV Executive Director Mo Middleton is encouraging local businesses to give at least $2,000 to help reach a $2.7 million goal. AFV has raised over $1 million for the new clinic so far, thanks to donations from residents and businesses, including Terry and Cindy Gilmore, Paradise Chevrolet Cadillac, Petco Love, The Haas Foundation, Tammi Boyd, and others.
“Financial support is vital,” according to the news release. If you want to donate, contact Beth Soltysiak, AFV director of development, at [email protected] or 951-676-0618 x 218 or www.afv.org/capitalcampaign.