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Home > Desert Oracle Radio > Yucca Valley Animal Shelter Committee meeting turns a corner
Podcast: Desert Oracle Radio
Episode:

Yucca Valley Animal Shelter Committee meeting turns a corner
Category: Society & Culture
Duration: 00:00:00
Publish Date: 2025-11-21 14:59:00
Description:

As rain drizzled down in Yucca Valley, about 25 residents showed up to the Yucca Room where large tables and microphones were set up for a hybrid workshop / town council style meeting. There was a consent agenda and minutes, but no limit on time for comments from the public.

Chair Jim Schooler led the meeting, but it was quickly turned over to Town Manager Curtis Yakimow for the Animal Shelter operational review. He started by identifying three priorities for the animal shelter that cover all aspects of the shelters operation: 

  1. Focus on the health and welfare of shelter animals
  2. Support increased live release rates
  3. Reduce length of stay for shelter animals

Yakimow says that as of the 20th, 8 volunteers have completed background processes and are ready to go as soon as the program is. Folks who are interested in adding to that number can fill out a volunteer application online or in person.

The shelter – like most in the state – is over capacity with the 59 kettle currently holding over 100 dogs. He also shared that the cost for running the animal shelter continues to rise while the revenue gained from it drops yearly.

The total projected expenses for the Yucca Valley Animal Shelter in 2026/2027 is 1.3 million dollars, and that doesn’t include animal control expenses and that cost is split 50-50 between the town and the county.

The town’s spay and neuter programs cost about $4,000 to put on per event, which Yakimow said is an important step in reducing the amount of animals coming into the shelter.

However, compared to the first two animal shelter committee meetings and the last year of Town Council meetings, the tone in the room felt positive. The new Animal Care Control Manager Shianne May will be formally introduced in December after she finishes her onboarding. Just the mention of this drew applause from the room. Yakimow said that programs like volunteering and fostering can now begin to move forward now that the management position has been filled.

The shelter has also hired four regular part-time kennel technicians, and will be partnering with Lori Herbel for Behavioral Training at the shelter. The town is also in talks with entering into a formal partnership with the Joshua Tree No-Kill Shelter for education and possible help placing animals.

Lori Herbel says she has worked with 1,600 dogs and their owners over the last 22 years

Toward the end of the meeting, Mayor Jeff Drozd spoke about what he calls “tension between some people in the room,” and said that he hopes that whoever creates the non-profit “Friends of the Yucca Valley Animal Shelter” will be supportive of the town in public.

On that subject, Town Manager Yakimow closed out the meeting with a written statement responding to a social media post that was circulated last week that depicted a town employee in a demeaning manner. In the statement, he says that online harassment doesn’t move the community forward and undermines the efforts of everyone in the room that are bringing positive change and meaningful improvements to the Animal Shelter.

Left to Right: Town Manager Curtis Yakimow, Mayor Jeff Drozd, Councilmember Jim Schooler

The next Animal Shelter Committee meeting is scheduled for Thursday, December 18th.

The post Yucca Valley Animal Shelter Committee meeting turns a corner appeared first on Z107.7 FM Joshua Tree.
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