LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control is holding its inaugural pet adoption event beginning Saturday, May 5, and running through Friday, May 11.

If you’ve been looking to add a pet to your home, now is a good time – during the weeklong event, the county will waive the $20 adoption fee for cats and the $30 fee for dogs in order to aid in finding homes for the animals in the shelter, located at 4949 Helbush Drive, Lakeport.

Earlier this year, the Board of Supervisors approved updates to the county policy and procedure manual allowing for an animal adoption amnesty program in which the county adoption fees were waived in adoption events held up to four times a year.

Thanks to the introduction in March of the shelter’s new spay and neuter clinic, spay and neuter costs also have been reduced, and the adoption process – which requires that adopted animals be altered before going to their new homes – has become more streamlined, according to shelter officials.

Now, many of the animals offered are already spayed or neutered and ready to go to new homes immediately.

Thanks to the waiving of the county fees, this week female cats’ adoption costs total $86, which includes $65 for spaying, $15 for microchip and $6 for rabies vaccine. For male cats, it’s $76, including the $55 neuter fee, plus the same microchip and rabies vaccination costs.

For dogs, smaller females can be adopted for $126, which covers the $90 spay fee, $15 for microchip, $6 for rabies, $5 for heartworm and $10 for the license. Larger female dogs cost $105 to spay, and all other charges are the same for a total cost to the adopter of $141. Male dogs cost $116 to adopt.

The shelter will be open Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Special Sunday hours of 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. have been added in order to facilitate weekend visitors.

Lake County Animal Care and Control’s regular weekly hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The kennel is open at 10:30 a.m., so visitors who want to adopt an animal should come at that point or after.

Lake County Animal Care and Control can be reached at 707-263-0278 or visited online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt.htm .

Aa gallery of adoptable dogs can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dogs_and_Puppies.htm, while cats are posted at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Cats_and_Kittens.htm .

Adoption forms also can be filled out online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .