County animal shelters celebrate Dia de Muertos for pets

Dia de Muertos is a Mexican tradition that celebrates loved ones that are no longer with us, and that includes our pets.

San Diego County's Department of Animal Services is offering a public ofrenda, or altar, that celebrates all pets.

“It's a way for our staff, our volunteers and the community members to come and bring photos of their beloved pets — celebrate them, honor them, and hopefully they can come and visit us as well, and see our animals available for adoption,” said Johnna Duty with the Department of Animal Services.

She says this is the first year they are offering the public ofrenda and hopes it could lead to new adoption or fostering opportunities.

Similar to many shelters throughout the County, Duty says they are experiencing a high volume of animals up for adoption.

Anywhere from puppies to kittens, and even rabbits and pigs.

“We just have a lot of animals that are available. We took a look at our inventory and we have over 150 dogs and well over 200 animals,” she said. “A lot of them have some really great personalities and maybe they'll be a good fit for you or your family.”

All pets from the County's Department of Animal Services come spayed, neutered, and could include food and accessories.

Duty says if adoption isn’t an option now, fostering and volunteering are always other ways of giving back, “We have a lot of volunteer opportunities. You can come and walk dogs, you can interact with cats. We also have a dog stay-out program so that if you want to take a dog just for a few hours, maybe to a park … a shopping area … the beach even.”

Duty adds the Department will be waiving adoption fees by mentioning their Dia de Muertos pet celebration.

The public is invited to bring in pictures of their pets that are no longer with them at the Carlsbad and Bonita locations through the end of the month.

KPBS is also celebrating Dia de Muertos with a digital community altar. Viewers can submit a memory of a loved one through October 23 to be featured in the digital ofrenda. More information can be found here.