Friends of Upland Animal Shelter

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Frequently Asked Questions

Adoptions

We adopt a variety of dogs, cat, and small mammals.
Available shelter animals may be strays found in Upland who have passed their “hold period” without being claimed by their owners, pets relinquished by their owners, or shelter pets transferred from other shelters or rescue organizations for a better chance at being adopted.
Yes, Friends accepts pets who are relinquished by their owners on a case-by-case basis, when space permits. If you need to surrender a pet, send an e-mail.

Once you’ve found a shelter pet you may be interested in adopting, the first step is to set up an appointment to meet the pet with all family members (including dogs in the family if you are interested in adopting a dog). Please call the shelter at (909) 931-4185 option 4 between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. daily to speak with a staff member. They will check the availability of the animal, and if available, set an appointment for a meeting. If you are a renter, you will need to bring your rental agreement showing you are able to have a pet and that there are no breed or size restrictions. 

During your appointment, you will learn more about the shelter pet and whether they are a good match for your family. If you decide to move forward with the adoption, we will guide you through the application process. Animals who are spayed or neutered can go home the same day. However, if an animal has not yet been spayed or neutered, we will arrange the surgery and let you know when the animal can be picked up.

Every adoption includes spay/neuter, vaccinations (including rabies), microchip, free health exam, and 30-day pet insurance.

We ask that you make an appointment to come to the shelter and meet the animal. During that appointment, we can provide you with information on the animal’s health, temperament, likes, dislikes, etc. 

Making an appointment is the best way to get all the information you need to make an adoption decision. To make an appointment, call (909) 931-4185, Option #4, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. to make an appointment.

About the Shelter

Friends of Upland Animal Shelter (“Friends”) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) public benefit charitable organization dedicated to finding shelter pets loving homes. FRIENDS operates the Upland Animal Shelter in partnership with the City of Upland’s four Animal Control Officers and is responsible for sheltering and finding homes for all animals that are available for adoption.

Friends was formed in August 2011 by several dedicated volunteers who were already actively volunteering at the City’s newly constructed and opened municipal shelter known as “Upland Animal Shelter” and the former Upland Animal Services Supervisor. From the beginning, Friends was dedicated to assisting the City to provide a high quality of care for homeless pets and find homes for as many adoptable pets as possible. Specifically, Friends supplemented staffing and addressed resource constraints at the shelter by organizing volunteer labor and raising funds to offset public funding of the shelter. In August 2011, Friends was accepted by Upland Community Foundation as a member organization. In February 2013, Friends incorporated as a tax-exempt, non-profit charitable benefit 501(c)(3) organization. Without the support of Friends during these early years, the City would not have been able to provide as high a level of care or save as many animals due to on-going and significant staffing and resource constraints.

In 2015, as part of a Citywide fiscal responsibility effort to address budget shortfalls and save money, the City reduced the shelter budget and requested and reviewed proposals from animal welfare groups and selected Friends to operate Upland Animal Shelter in conjunction with the City’s Animal Control Officers. Friends assumed direct responsibility for all animal care and adoptions at the shelter at no cost to the City on May 2, 2016. To our knowledge, this is the first-of-its-kind arrangement where a service provider is not compensated for their services.

No. Friends has successfully operated the animal care and adoptions functions at Upland Animal Shelter since May 2016 with no direct monetary funding from the City. The City’s Animal Control Officers provide field services. Animal Control and FRIENDS jointly occupy the City’s shelter building and the City pays for the joint use of utilities (i.e., electricity, water, refuse, phone, internet, and software). This has saved the City a significant amount of its annual shelter operating budget every year since 2016. To our knowledge, this is the first of its kind arrangement in California where an open intake municipal shelter does not compensate their service provider for their services.
No. Friends must seek monetary donations and donations of supplies to offset the cost of food, medicine, bedding, toys, and all other supplies related to animal care and shelter administration. We have been very successful in creating beneficial partnerships with local businesses and national pet supply corporations to meet the majority of our needs at no cost. When we have a shortage, we ask our supporters for help.
The City’s Animal Control Officers work at the direction of the Upland Police Department and focus on field services. They provide the following services: Responding to reports of stray animals and impounding them at the shelter. If an animal has identification, they first will attempt to return the animal to its home, if possible. Coordinating with partner agencies to handle wildlife complaints. Handling reports of mistreated or aggressive animals. Reuniting lost pets to their owners at Upland Animal Shelter. The City’s Finance Department processes dog licensing and renewals at City Hall at 460 N. Euclid Avenue, Upland.

Funding

As a non-profit organization, Friends relies on private funding and donor support to care for Upland’s abandoned animals. While Friends generates revenue from adoptions at Upland Animal Shelter, this does not cover the costs of operating the shelter. So, we also operate 2nd Chance Thrift Shop in Upland and do fundraising. All net revenue from our thrift shop and fundraising activities support our shelter operation and makes it possible to offer free animal care and adoption services to the City of Upland.
Friends operates the major functions of animal care and adoptions at the open intake municipal animal shelter on behalf of the City of Upland. The animal population can vary from over 3,000 to 1,500 in any given year (see Shelter Animals Count). Over 90% of all animals have been adopted, transferred to other rescues, or returned to their owners. At 90%, Upland is considered a “no kill” community. No animal is ever euthanized for space or treatable medical or behavioral issues. Unfortunately, it is most often the unowned, neonatal kittens who have been separated from their mother and are too week or malnourished by the time they arrive at the shelter who do not survive. To address this issue, we have launched a Trap, Neuter/Spay, and Return (TNR) Program for community cats to reduce the number of unowned kittens being born every year. We have also partnered with other animal welfare organizations including ASPCA, Oregon Humane Society, and others to transfer overflow of cats and kittens to other shelters who are able to help find them homes.
Western University of Health Sciences (Western) has conducted training for veterinary students at Upland Animal Shelter since it was built in 2010. Under the supervision of experienced veterinarians, students learn to perform spay and neuter surgeries in a shelter environment. Western does not charge for surgical procedures but does require supplies and oxygen. By performing surgeries during the course curriculum at no charge, Western is truly a community asset that enables FRIENDS to operate the shelter at a lower cost. This, in part, makes it possible for FRIENDS to provide free services to the City as well as offer low cost adoption fees.
FRIENDS works with several local veterinarians to provide the majority of the routine, advanced, and emergency veterinary services for all shelter animals. While these veterinarians typically offer reduced pricing for FRIENDS as a service to the community, FRIENDS still incurs significant costs for providing various medical treatments for animals. Since we intentionally keep adoption costs low, these costs are not recouped by raising adoption fees. FRIENDS is committed to providing veterinary care and supporting low-cost adoptions so more lives can be saved.
FRIENDS is indebted to Mr. Bill Landecena who donated the seed money to start 2nd Chance Thrift Shop in 2015. He also was an event sponsor in 2016 and 2017 and paid for free microchipping for Upland residents until early 2018. He no longer provides monetary support to FRIENDS but his legacy of charitable giving is very much appreciated.
FRIENDS receives financial support in the form of monetary donations, grants, scholarships and sponsorships from hundreds of individuals and organizations who support our efforts to save lives. This support is ongoing and necessary for our continued success. Along with responsible nonprofit business management practices, our overall business model has enabled FRIENDS to save thousands of lives while continuing to have resources available for expected and unexpected costs associated with our mission to save lives and operate Upland Animal Shelter for the City for the conceivable future.
Need more information on any of these services? Call (909) 931-4185 and select the option for Animal Control.
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1-909-931-4185