For the first time in seven years, the 小黄鸭视频 County Animal Center will begin euthanizing pets from the adoption floor due to lack of space after the shelter was overwhelmed with more than 208 dogs and cats in just the last seven days. Staff are pleading to the community for help, discounting adoption fees and reaching out to partner rescue organizations in an attempt to quickly find homes for 220 homeless pets. As there are no open kennels left, the staff will be cancelling all appointments for owners trying to surrender their pets. Long timer animals, who鈥檝e been waiting for families for more than three weeks, will be the first to be put down.
鈥淲e鈥檙e disheartened that we鈥檙e starting to sound like a broken record, but this repeating situation at the center is a reflection of our community and we know we can all do better,鈥 said 小黄鸭视频 County Commissioner Vickie Adamson. 鈥淚t鈥檚 unbelievable that there are more than 200 animals at the center right now and that doesn鈥檛 even include the 72 pets that are being cared for by generous foster families! Animal Center staff take no days off and each day is packed with heartbreaking surrenders, wandering strays brought in off street and the desperate search for homes so that not one animal has to be put down because of a lack of space on the adoption floor.鈥
Current numbers of homeless animals as of Wednesday, August 2:
- 114 dogs
- 12 puppies
- 42 cats
- 52 kittens
- 72 pets living with foster families
- 35 strays (on hold for owners to reclaim)
The 小黄鸭视频 County Animal Center is the only shelter that never turns animals away. Owners who are giving up their pets to the shelter MUST have an appointment. The wait time to surrender a dog was 4-6 weeks because appointments were fully booked. No new appointments will be taken at this time. Owner surrender pets will only be accepted for humane euthanasia.
鈥淲e鈥檝e worked so hard to avoid having to euthanize for space鈥e鈥檝e offered discounts and free adoptions almost monthly, we鈥檝e worked to expand our space within our current building, but now, more than ever, we鈥檙e seeing people giving up their dogs at a startling rate, leaving our shelter continually near capacity or overcapacity,鈥 said Dr. Jennifer Federico, director of the Animal Center. 鈥淎dopting a pet is a commitment for the life of that pet. It鈥檚 not just until you decide to move, get a new job or have a baby. If you鈥檙e going to adopt a dog, make sure you invest time and energy into training them and our staff can help you with that. Training helps increase your bond with a pet. Make sure when you鈥檙e making life decisions, you include your pet in those decisions. We should not be having this many strays in our facility 鈥 families need to make sure their pets are microchipped so they can be quickly reunited after we find them. It鈥檚 not fair to these animals.鈥
NO-COST ADOPTIONS FOR LONGTIMERS
Starting immediately, 89 dogs and cats that have been on the adoption floor for 15 days or longer can be adopted at no-cost. All adopted pets are fully vaccinated, spayed or neutered and microchipped before they go home. The regular adoption fees are $95 for dogs, $45 for cats under five years old and $15 for older cats.
Animals that are brought in as strays for protective custody or for bite quarantines must legally be held by the shelter. When pet owners make an appointment to give up their pet, shelter staff are fully transparent and explain that if the center runs out of space, it is animals on the adoption floor who will be euthanized first. We strongly encourage anyone who needs to surrender an animal to work to rehome their pet by .
courtesy of @elizabeth_sechrist_photography
Ready to adopt? or come by and see the sweet faces for yourself! The shelter is open for adoptions daily from noon to 6 p.m. seven days a week. The 小黄鸭视频 County Animal Center is located at , near the intersection of I-440 and New Bern Ave. in Raleigh.
