Nick Collin, director of Kern County Animal Services, told Tehachapi residents on a local City of Tehachapi podcast that his agency operates countywide shelters and field services and is expanding spay/neuter, vaccination and foster-adoption efforts to reach rural communities.

“We're the county's animal services agency,” Collin said, describing the department's sheltering, field enforcement and quarantine work across Kern County.

The discussion matters locally because Kern is geographically large and seeing a recent surge in animals brought into county shelters, creating pressure on space and resources. Collin said the agency and local nonprofits are trying to expand access to surgery, vaccines and fostering to reduce shelter intake.

Collin said Kern County Animal Services (KCAS) provides sheltering for the unincorporated county and some incorporated cities, dispatches 12 animal control officers across roughly 8,200 square miles and runs county vaccine clinics, spay/neuter programming and off-site adoption events. He described coordinated work with Tehachapi organizations such as Have A Heart Humane Society and Marley's Mutts, and with mobile providers such as the SNIP (Spay Neuter Imperative Project) bus, which is a nonprofit-operated mobile surgery unit that KCAS helps host or fund for events in outlying communities.

On vaccinations and low-cost care, Collin said KCAS has conducted vaccine clinics in Tehachapi—recently at Meadowbrook Park—providing rabies shots (legally required) and common core immunizations thanks in part to a grant from the Petco Love Foundation. He encouraged residents to consult KCAS resources online at kerncountyanimalservices.org or follow KCAS social channels for schedules.

On spay and neuter work, Collin described countywide efforts and a large-scale push around World Spay Day. KCAS runs appointment slots through kerncountyanimalservices.org/spayneuter; Collin said the agency routinely runs dozens of sterilization clinics each month and set a public World Spay Day goal of at least 100 animals. He said some events are subsidized and noted community partners sometimes fund the SNIP bus appearances.

Collin discussed an emergency veterinary care voucher program KCAS recently launched to help residents facing life-threatening animal emergencies. He said owners submit an application describing the emergency and KCAS responds within about three to seven days to say whether and how much assistance can be offered; Collin emphasized the program does not promise full billing coverage.

On adoptions, fostering and outreach, Collin highlighted multiple programs: weekly off-site adoption teams that bring animals to communities (KCAS attends Tehachapi roughly twice a month), a “Streets of Bakersfield” day-out program that places 30–35 dogs at a time with community volunteers for marketing, and a large foster effort for kittens in spring. He said KCAS places roughly 1,500 kittens in foster care each year and runs regular open-house or foster-recruitment efforts in the spring ahead of kitten season.

Collin also described trap-neuter-return (TNR) and a county-subsidized feral cat sterilization effort run with partners in Bakersfield (Critters Without Litter) and local volunteers. He described a longstanding “barn cat” or working-cat program that provides sterilized feral cats for rodent control on farms and large properties, with the lone local provider coordinating many of those placements in Tehachapi.

Collin addressed shelter capacity and intake: he said KCAS took in “just shy of 10,000 dogs” in 2024 and has seen about a 75% increase in dogs since 2020. He said January intake alone was nearly 1,000 dogs and about 700 cats; staff and partners saved roughly 85–87% of those animals in January but county shelters remain under severe space pressure. He noted a legal obligation under California law for shelters to accept stray animals, which adds to operational strain: “Animal shelters like ours are required by law to take stray dogs.”

On field services and coordination with Tehachapi Police Department and other law enforcement, Collin said KCAS officers respond to community calls about loose or aggressive animals, assist law enforcement with pets when officers take someone into custody, and sometimes act in a supportive role on wildlife calls until specialized agencies arrive. He said roughly 50–60% of incoming shelter animals are transported in by animal control officers.

Collin credited local nonprofits and community partners—Have A Heart, Marley's Mutts, SNIP bus, Critters Without Litter, Fixing Feral Felines and other regional rescue groups—for helping place animals, host clinics and run foster and adoption campaigns. He described a new collaboration of organizations, “Kern SAFE (Saving Animals From Euthanasia),” that pools resources to move animals out of shelters and reduce euthanasia.

Practical items Collin gave for Tehachapi residents: check kerncountyanimalservices.org/spayneuter to schedule sterilization appointments; follow KCAS on social media for adoption events; email animalservices@kerncounty.com to propose hosting an adoption event; and apply for emergency veterinary vouchers via KCAS if facing a life-threatening animal medical bill. He also urged residents to consider volunteering, fostering or sharing shelter social posts to increase visibility for animals at risk.

KCAS plans spring outreach tied to kitten season and a foster-recruitment open house in April; Collin asked Tehachapi businesses and venues to reach out if they can host adoption events.

Contact and web resources listed by Collin: kerncountyanimalservices.org and animalservices@kerncounty.com.