Move the animal shelter to Indian Canyon.

What the records establish

The City is supporting animal care at two locations.

Riverside County’s current service directory lists Desert Hot Springs Animal Control at 65810 Hacienda Avenue. The City’s audited financial report says the Humane Society of the Desert transferred an animal hospital and its Indian Canyon animal sanctuary to Desert Hot Springs in January 2024, and that the City began using the sanctuary to expand its animal-control program.

A City request for adoption services dated April 10, 2025, says the program was brought in-house in 2017, the City inherited an animal sanctuary in 2024, and staff operate at both the sanctuary and the animal care and control shelter. Those records establish the two-location arrangement; they do not establish that a full relocation has been approved.

Edward’s position

Move the animal shelter to Indian Canyon.

Barking dogs and the daily activity of a kennel can affect nearby homes. Edward believes the City must be considerate of Hacienda Avenue residents and act as a good neighbor. This is a campaign concern about the appropriate location for shelter operations, not a claim that the City has completed a formal noise study.

The City already owns and operates an animal sanctuary on North Indian Canyon Drive. Edward’s position is clear: move shelter and intake operations from Hacienda Avenue to that location. The transition plan must first confirm safe capacity, identify necessary improvements, protect animal welfare, and maintain uninterrupted service.

One primary shelter could reduce duplicated overhead and give residents one clear destination. The City must publish a full comparison of capital and operating costs and document any savings rather than promise them before the facts are known.

A responsible decision standard

Protect animals, residents, and access throughout the move.

Before a final vote

Publish the plan and give residents time to examine it.

• Commission a documented facility, capacity, and animal-welfare assessment.
• Publish a side-by-side operating and capital-cost comparison.
• Explain how field animal-control response would continue throughout the transition.
• Hold a public meeting focused on adopters, pet owners, employees, volunteers, neighbors, and rescue partners.
• Set measurable service standards and report results after any move.