A HISTORY OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY ANIMAL CAMPUS
In 1978 Grete Cox , wife of successful Coachella Valley architect, Carl Cox, placed an ad in the local newspaper seeking help with organizing an animal charity. Several positive responses resulted in the creation of Animal Samaritans, which continued to grow through the 1980s. Armed with her husband's architectural plans and contributions from friends, Grete initiated the building of Animal Samaritans' current clinic and shelter facility on Ramon Road., where they have been serving the community since 1981.
In the late 1980s, Animal Samaritans obtained a 10 acre parcel of land on Rio Del Sol in Thousand Palms. For years they endeavored to utilize this property, but struggled with obstacles such as the lack of infrastructure - no road or water to the property.
In 2000, Mike Russell, President of Animal Samaritans Board of Directors, met with Jean Benson, Mayor of Palm Desert and Chairwoman of the Coachella Valley Association of Government's (CVAG) Human and Community Resources Committee, Corky Larson, Executive Director of CVAG, Roy Wilson, Riverside County 4th District Supervisor and CVAG staff. Animal Samaritans offered a portion of their ten acre parcel as a location for a Coachella Valley Animal Campus which would consist of a mega-animal shelter to be built through a bond issuance from the Riverside County Palm Desert Financing Authority and eventually operated by the County. The other five acres would be used by Animal Samaritans for a new facility which would include an educational component and full veterinary clinic. While water was not immediately available, CVAG agreed to work with the Coachella Valley Water District towards this endeavor. The goal of the Animal Campus was to bring together a unique effort: the public and private sector with a strong and mutual commitment to improve the quality of care of our animals.
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