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The Priceless Pets located in City of Industry is open at noon, Tuesdays through Sundays. They have stray dogs and cats and take tax-deductible donations. Check out their Priceless Pets Wishlist, or see which adoptable pets are currently finding a home!

Located in six nearby cities, the non-profit organization, Priceless Pets, is an adoption center dedicated to rescuing, caring for, and rehoming stray pets. Committed to fostering every single dog and cat, their motto is: “Saving one by one until there are none.”

I began volunteering at Priceless Pets about a year ago, when I saw the precious puppies and kittens that were up for adoption through social media. Little did I know this experience would change the lives of many animals. I try to volunteer once or twice a month for at least two hours. When I do get a chance to go, I usually walk different dogs or puppies every 15 minutes so that each one can have time outdoors. Each dog has a card with information on it, along with a different colored sticker representing how friendly or skittish they are. For example, dogs with red stickers may be aggressive or untrained, meaning that most volunteers are not allowed to walk them. Dogs with other colored stickers tend to be a little more mellow and calm.

On the other days I volunteer, I help clean the dog kennels and cat pens. I also help out with the laundry, where I wash and dry towels and blankets. Unfortunately, I have a cat allergy, so being around cats can sometimes be difficult for me; but when I see the kittens’ eyes, their silence sounds like a cry to me. It’s almost like I have no choice but to overcome my allergy.

Aya S. is the manager of the Priceless Pets located in the City of Industry. When asked where the dogs and cats mainly come from, she replies, “Legally, we aren’t allowed to take animals from the streets, but we do get pets almost every day. Since we are a non-kill organization, a lot of the pets come from shelters that, unfortunately, do kill. So, we try our best to pull them before they are euthanized.” Sadly, a lot of pets come from traumatic situations or experiences, so adoption centers, like Priceless Pets, try their best to make the dogs and cats feel at home.
Aya S. additionally explains that, even if the animals have a hard time getting adopted, “we keep them here with us. One of our dogs, Bam Bam, has been with us since November of 2023, meaning he’s going to hit two years at Priceless Pets by the end of this year. We’ve had people take some of our pets to different states where other people will adopt them.” Unfortunately, not all pets get adopted right away. This is not only disappointing for the staff, but also miserable for the dogs and cats who are waiting for their forever owner.

A couple of months ago, there was a dog, Oreo, that I’ll never forget. When I first opened his kennel, he was trembling like a nervous wreck, whining and refusing to leave. I could tell he had a traumatic past, just by the way he was intimidated by my presence, reminding me how precious and fragile most pets are. After many minutes of trying to calm him down, I was able to get him outside and put a leash on him, ready to walk. Later, after talking to him, petting him, and giving him some time to adjust, he was living in a bipolar moment. As we were walking back and nearing his kennel, he tried to pull away and refused to step his paw inside. Coming back the next month and seeing him gone gave me a bittersweet feeling. I was happy that his new life had begun, but also saddened that I would never see him again.

Though there are multiple facilities, some Priceless Pets locations are fairly newer than others. Again, the manager remarks, “Our other locations from Chino Hills will sometimes have seven adoptions a day. Unfortunately, our Priceless Pets in City of Industry is newer, and many adoptions don’t happen to us often.” I see volunteers from all different age groups at Priceless Pets, ranging from middle schoolers to grandmas and grandpas. Everyone comes in on various days at different hours, working together with the staff to help out these pets. Their teamwork is very inspirational to me. To humans, Priceless Pets is a small rescue facility, but for the dogs and cats inside, it is like a sanctuary. They are allowed to feel safe (maybe even for the first time) and find a home with new owners, who have an excruciating amount of love for them.

For more information on how to get involved, visit the Priceless Pets website, or drop by their multiple headquarters in Chino Hills, Claremont, City of Industry, and more locations. Priceless Pets don’t only have dogs and cats, some locations have ducks, turtles, or bunnies. Taylor Saint Onge (10), a Yorba Linda High School student, has a dog whom she recently adopted. She mentions, “My dog’s name is Baxter, and we got him from a pet breeder in Georgia. We saw his cute innocent face on Instagram and had to adopt him right away.” The more volunteers Priceless Pets receives, the more locations they can build, and therefore, the more pets can find homes.

I’ve learned through Priceless Pets that volunteering is not easy, but at the end of the day, I’ve also realized why so many people choose to volunteer. It is not the money, but the value of the moments we get to obtain. Even though I am exhausted after the two hours, during my ride home, my heart feels fulfilled knowing how much I made the pets’ days just by being with them for a few minutes. Giving my time, energy, and patience to something that may be tiring but heartwarming simultaneously is like a fulfilling reward. At Priceless Pets, every moment is an experience that money can’t buy, providing much more value than all the money in the world. That’s why it’s priceless.