“During these renovations, different areas of the shelter can be out of commission from weeks to months. After the current project, which is a partial renovation of the lobby, the next phase will shut down several animal housing areas which will temporarily take away approximately 50 kennels. Additionally, there are currently 30 dog kennels that are being used to house dogs that are part of ongoing investigations and awaiting court dates,” according to ACC.
Those 30 kennels being used for investigations means there are 30 fewer kennels for incoming dogs. That’s bad news heading into summer --- which is a notoriously busy season.
“Late spring and summer are the times of the year when most municipal shelters are the fullest ... People are doing outdoor activities which creates more of a chance that a dog will escape a yard or the owner. Thunderstorms and fireworks scare dogs and cause them to run and then get lost. People are moving or vacationing and often a pet no longer fits into their plans,” ACC said.
The message from ACC is clear --- they are relying on the community to work together to help provide loving homes for the animals in the shelter. The ACC is also offering new ways that people can see the status of the shelter.
“ACC is introducing a new Dog Kennel Dashboard which is a new tool that will help us keep the community updated with exact kennel data. This will be shared on Monday morning and Friday morning or more often as needed,” according to ACC.
The impact of full shelters is life or death for the animals housed there.
“When ACC releases information through media or on social platforms and the terms “at capacity” or “critical level” is used, this means that euthanasia of dogs for space/behavior could happen,” according to ACC.
There are ways people can help even if they aren’t able to adopt a pet, providing a temporary home for animals is always an option.
“If you can foster, don’t wait to hear that we are full and need help. Come now, a dog going to your home means a space for another dog who is entering the shelter,” according to the press release.
ACC provided a list of frequently asked questions about fostering pets and provided resources
