Special Programs

 

Enhanced Care

The Center occasionally receives animals that have been injured, neglected or need additional medical treatment. The Enhanced Care program funds the treatment these animals need to become healthy and adoptable.
 

Foster Care

Foster parents provide temporary care for kittens, puppies, and baby rabbits in their own homes. This includes time, energy, and a quiet secure space away from any pets you may otherwise have. The center will provide the training, supplies, food, and equipment that the foster animals need.

Animals too young to be spayed/neutered are extremely fragile creatures with relatively low survival rates, especially when separated from their mother. Shelters, in general, do not have sufficient human or financial resources to provide underage animals with the specialized, focused, around-the-clock care that they require. As a result, underage animals are often euthanized in other shelter environments. The center aims to make a positive impact on this population by placing them in foster care. This is why a robust and hearty foster program is imperative to continuing the mission of saving Irvine’s homeless pets. With you they will be housed, fed, socialized, and cared for, until they reach a weight of two pounds and at least eight weeks of age. A nursing mother will accompany her litter into foster care if they’ve come into the center together. Foster parents bring the animals back in to the center every two weeks for checkups and for early vaccinations. Once an underage animal has reached its mandatory age and weight, and receives a clean bill of health, it will be spayed/neutered and made available for adoption. If you would like to receive information on upcoming foster volunteer recruitment opportunities, please submit your email address.

Click here to view our Foster Family flier.
 

Pets for Vets

The City of Irvine is proud to support the Pets for Vets Act, a state law that requires animal shelters to waive cat and dog adoption fees for military veterans. Learn more at irvineanimals.org/petsforvets.
 

Pet Case Assistance

The physical and psychological boost of human-animal relationships is a benefit to both people and their pets. The human-animal bond is a powerful relationship that can be equally distressing when severed, especially unexpectedly. Donations to the center allow us to provide creative solutions that promote adoption success, pet retention, and compassionate euthanasia on a case-by-case basis. Examples include training scholarships for dogs needing a more-experienced owner; humane euthanasia for qualified Irvine pets when their owner cannot afford the services of a private veterinarian; and subsidized fee rates for eligible pet owners through a financial hardship program.

Rescue Support

No matter how strong our programming is at the Irvine Animal Care Center, there will always be animals that make good candidates for “going to rescue,” meaning their chances for adoption are higher with a private rescue than if they remain in a shelter environment. The center partners with more than 100 animal rescue groups; all registered as 501c3 organizations and in good standing with their local veterinarian and animal control agencies. In certain instances, an animal is a great match for a rescue, but the expected costs of its behavioral and/or medical treatment are prohibitive for these small, volunteer-run organizations. Rescue Support provides critical funding that allows the nonprofit to say “yes” to accepting the animal into their care.

Seniors Helping Seniors

The Seniors Helping Seniors program waives adoption fees for individuals age 62 and older when they adopt a senior animal. The age an animal becomes a senior varies, so adopters can look for a green "senior" stamp on a kennel card to quickly identify the center's senior animals. Click here for more information.
 

Third Chance for Pets

The Third Chance for Pets program transfers animals from overcrowded shelters where they may have limited chances for adoption, and brings them to the center for a chance at finding their forever home. Over the years the program has expanded to include rescuing animals from hoarders and disaster situations. Since these animals come from outside of Irvine, their care is partially funded through donations. Why the name Third Chance? Their first home was their first chance, the shelter they were brought to was their second chance, and the center is their Third Chance. 

Wildlife Support

The City of Irvine has a long-established commitment to preserving open space ecosystems and the wildlife that call these environments their home. When urban development and habitat conservation overlap, the need for wildlife support is inevitable. Surprise backyard visitors and injured or orphaned wildlife lead to hundreds of these animals being brought to the center every year. The expertise of our clinic team is focused on domestic pets. The center does not have the federal permits required to care for ducklings, sea birds, birds of prey, squirrels, raccoons, possums, etc. nor a specialized facility to do so. The center provides financial support to the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center of Orange County to rehabilitate and release Irvine’s injured and orphaned native wildlife.

40 Years of Care

In 2022, the Irvine Animal Care Center celebrated 40 years of care. As part of our celebration, we gathered our favorite photos and stories. Visit our 40th Celebration page for more information.