By Antioch Friends of Animal Services

The following adoption special at Antioch Animal Services will begin on Thursday, April 2nd and will remain in effect until Saturday, May 2nd. It may be extended depending on if mandatory lockdown dates are extended.

Need a companion, co-worker, walking partner or playmate to keep you and the family company during the mandatory stay at home order as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Antioch Friends of Animal Services is sponsoring the adoption fees of all animals at Antioch Animal Services to encourage the public to adopt a homeless pet. There is no better time than now, when you are home and can help that new furbaby adjust to a home life.

All adoptions at Antioch Animal Services are by appointment only due to social distancing requirements. Please call (925) 779-6989 daily from 8am to 5pm to schedule a meet and greet with any animal (or animals) that you are interested in meeting.

You can view available pets at www.antioch.petfinder.com, www.petharbor.com or by following the Antioch Animal Services and Antioch Friends of Animal Services Facebook Pages.
The sponsored adoption fee includes: spay/neuter, microchip and age appropriate shots
Antioch residents will be required to pay a $20 license fee for dog adoptions.

BISSELL Pet Foundation assists animal shelters with reduced adoption fees by appointment only

By Bri Olson, Communications Coordinator, BISSELL Pet Foundation

In response to COVID-19, BISSELL Pet Foundation will sponsor reduced adoption fees across the country starting Thursday, March 26 in efforts to assist animal shelters that are struggling with fewer volunteers and staff to care for their animals. With a rather atypical Empty the Shelters adoption special in place for the next week, the foundation hopes this will encourage families to add a furry quarantine buddy into their home in a time when it’s needed the most.

“Many shelters have already been forced to eliminate all foot traffic in their facilities, so overcrowding is becoming a real issue, said Cathy Bissell, Founder of BISSELL Pet Foundation. “Organizations are scrambling to find fosters to take pets in during this desperate time and they need our help. That’s why BPF will also reduce fees for foster-to-adopt cases.”

Thanks to BPF funding, you can adopt a pet from Antioch Animal Services for $25 by viewing adoptable animals online at www.bissellpetfoundation.org/ets. Once an online application is submitted, shelter staff will work with potential adopters to schedule an in-person appointment with social distancing in mind. The Antioch shelter is located at 300 L Street in Antioch.

“COVID-19 is responsible for canceling many scheduled fundraisers and events that shelters rely on to operate, “says Bissell. “We will continue to ease the burden on our partners and work to find solutions for them in any way we can. This week, you too can be a part of the solution for homeless pets by choosing to adopt.”

BPF encourages interested adopters to be reminded that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that there is no evidence to support any cases of transmitting the virus to/from pets.

“If you are able to bring a pet into your home, now is a perfect time,” says Bissell.

Reduced-fee adoptions are scheduled to extend until Wednesday, April 1.

If you’re unable to adopt, please consider donating to BISSELL Pet Foundation at www.bissellpetfoundation.org/donate. With a partner network of over 5,000, BPF has impacted over 250,000 homeless animals across the country since 2011.

About BISSELL Pet Foundation:

BISSELL Pet Foundation is a charitable 501©(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to help reduce the number of animals in shelters through pet adoption, spay/neuter programs, microchipping and emergency support. Founded in 2011 by Cathy Bissell, BPF is an extension of her long-standing love for animals and commitment to their welfare. BPF has since partnered with over 5,000 shelters and rescues across the U.S. and Canada to help pets find loving homes. The foundation is supported by generous donors and BISSELL Homecare, Inc where every purchase saves pets. To learn more, visit www.bissellpetfoundation.org.

By Joe Brengle, CEO Contra Costa County Event Park

ANTIOCH – As a major event facility, The Contra Costa Event Park has been monitoring the evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. There is no higher priority than the safety of our Fairgrounds family, patrons, vendors, promoters and sponsors at the Contra Costa Event Park. Due to this ongoing situation the Contra Costa Event Park Board of Directors met last night and unanimously voted to cancel the 2020 Contra Costa County Fair scheduled for May 14 – 17.

The Fair Board realizes that the individual’s most affected by this cancellation is the youth livestock exhibitors of our county. The Fair Board did approve to let a committee of Contra Costa County 4H and FFA parents work on a Youth Fair where these youth livestock exhibitors could show and auction their animals. The Fair Board agreed to provide support to this committee as needed. If the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Contra Costa County Health Department, or the Governor of California lengthen the current restrictions and orders, it is possible that a Youth Fair will not take place. At this time dates for Youth Fair are yet to be determined.

We thank the community for your continued support during these challenging times.

Mark your calendars for the 2021 Contra Costa County Fair May 13 – 16.

Spring Hospital Day Saturday, March 21

By Antioch Friends of Animal Services

During the period of Saturday, March 14th through Saturday, March 21st Antioch Friends of Animal Services (FOAS) will sponsor reduced adoption fees of $17 for all dogs. Antioch residents will need to purchase a one-year dog license at time of adoption. Antioch FOAS will also sponsor reduced adoption fees on all kittens under one-year-old.

Qualified Adopters will be responsible for the $17 adoption fees, which include: spay/neuter, microchip and age appropriate vaccinations.

Cats one-year-old and over have a $10 Adoption Fee the entire month of March sponsored by Antioch Animal Services.

Antioch FOAS will be hosting a Spring Hospitality Day in the shelter lobby, 300 L St in Antioch, on Saturday, March 21st from 1 to 4 pm. Antioch FOAS President and Founder, Barbara Sobalvarro will be on hand to greet the public. Refreshments will be served.

Screenshot from CBS13 TV news report of Garry Reynolds.

By Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa County District Attorney

Martinez, Calif. – A Contra Costa County jury found defendant Garry Reynolds (39-years-old) guilty of four felonies – all counts of animal cruelty. Reynolds is the owner of a dog training company, NorCal K9. The jury found Reynolds was criminally negligent in the care of four animals under his company’s care. Additionally, the jury found Reynolds not guilty on three counts of animal cruelty. (See related CBS13 TV news report) (See videos of dog training on Garry Reynolds’ YouTube channel)

In 2018, at a house in Antioch rented by the defendant, Reynolds and his former co-defendant Devon Ashby were responsible for the care of various dogs. Unfortunately, these dogs were neglected and not cared for in a proper way. Ashby pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of animal cruelty and testified during the trial for the People.

Reynolds faces up to 10 years in state prison due to his prior strike offenses. Judge Patricia Scanlon will sentence Reynolds later this spring. Deputy District Attorney Arsh Singh prosecuted the case on behalf of the People. DDA Singh is assigned to the Felony Trial Team.

“Animal cruelty cases are heartbreaking as these animals are innocent and deserve excellent care. Garry Reynolds took advantage of his customers and his ownership style contributed to the maltreatment of these dogs and the horrible death of Gunner,” DDA Singh stated. “The defendant claims to be a premier dog trainer yet showed no remorse and did not accept responsibility for the dogs under his care. I want to thank the jury for the important verdict in this case and the message sent to any dog trainer in our community that our Office will not tolerate the mistreatment of animals.”

The City of Antioch started an investigation into the house where the dogs were located at 5200 Lone Tree Way. The investigation started as a code enforcement matter but progressed to a criminal investigation led by the Antioch Police Department due to a dog’s death. In June 2018, Antioch police officers showed up at the house and found unsuitable and dangerous living conditions that jeopardized the health of the dogs staying at the property. In total nine dogs were removed from the property.

The conditions at 5200 Lone Tree Way were unsuitable for any animal. Antioch officials testified at the trial and reviewed with the jury that rotten raw chicken meat was found in various dogs’ kennels, urine and feces were not picked up or disposed of in a sanitary manner, and the house’s ventilation system was not properly used. When officers arrived on June 25 to the property, the weather in Antioch was extremely warm and the ventilation system in the house was not being used. Dogs under the care of Reynolds were placed in small rooms or the kitchen in stacked kennels all close together. Further, there was an immense amount of trash and debris inside and outside the house.

The following dogs were associated with the jury’s guilty verdict:

• Gunner, Doberman (Count 5)
• Favor, Cane Corso (Count 6)
• Zeus, German Shepherd (Count 7)
• Rambo (Bo), Labro-Poodle (Count 8)

Case information: People v. Garry Reynolds, Docket Number 05-191200-5

Publisher’s Note: A photo posted with this report, earlier was not of Garry Reynolds. Apologies for the mistake.

Antioch Police K9 Purcy and APD cars on the scene of the burglary, Sat., Oct. 5, 2019. Photos by APD.

By Antioch Police Department

Yesterday morning, Saturday, Oct. 5, the APD dispatch center received a call about a commercial burglary in progress. Officers quickly responded to the scene and were able to surround the business. Officers made numerous announcements for the suspects to surrender, but they failed to do so.

K9 Purcy was on scene and assisted Officers with a building search. K9 Purcy was able to locate two suspects hiding in a crawl space and was able to assist in apprehending one of the suspects. Both suspects were ultimately arrested and booked into county jail for burglary.

This is a prime example where our K9 teams are invaluable in locating criminals during incidents such as these. We think Purcy deserves a puppuccino.