More than 60 dogs rescued from Hemet house fire are looking for new homes

Dozens of dogs are looking for new homes after being rescued from a house fire in Hemet, according to the Riverside County Department of Animal Services.

After the fire, which took place in an unincorporated area of Riverside County on Thursday, the Field Services team removed more than 60 dogs and transported them to the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus.

“This type of large-scale rescue requires all of our teams to jump into action, and now we need the public’s help to give these dogs a home,” RCDAS Field Commander Lesley Huennekens said.

The dogs are now in urgent need of adoption, as the shelter is operating beyond its capacity, with more than 1,000 animals in its system.

“The department has been operating in sustained critical overcapacity for dogs, and the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus is now at 300% overcapacity,” according to RCDAS.

For anyone interested in bringing home a new furry friend, all adoption fees are waived at all shelter locations through March and include spay/neuter surgery, a microchip, vaccinations and an engraved ID tag, RCDAS said in a statement.

If you are interested but not able to adopt, RCDAS also offers the option to foster a dog for a period of time.

Visit www.rcdas.org for more information.