Rancho Coastal Humane Society (RCHS) finds new homes for more than one thousand animals ever year.

You may wonder where our animals come from? The answer is the Friends of County Animal Shelters (FOCAS) program. About 94-percent of RCHS animals arrive at our shelter through this unique program.

Co-founded by animal advocate Peggy Howell, FOCAS originated as a La Jolla-based nonprofit that helped place animals from county shelters into foster homes. Now a program of RCHS, each month our animal care teams visit area shelters that are at or nearing capacity. They evaluate, transport and intake animals that otherwise might not have a second chance for adoption in an overcrowded shelter.

RCHS also takes in animals that have been displaced due to natural disasters like floods, wildfires and hurricanes.  As a limited admission shelter, RCHS is able to keep an adoptable animal until it can be matched with an appropriate adopter.