Lake County Animal Services beyond max capacity
Dogs of all ages and sizes currently call Lake County Animal Services home.
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Whitney Boylston, the Director of the Office of Animal Services for Lake County, said they are beyond capacity and need families to adopt.
“It has to do with length of stay,” Boylston said. “Animals that used to be in our care for minutes or hours, or even a few days are with us for weeks right now. We are caring for many more animals at a time than we really should.”
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An increase in dogs to care for puts a strain on the volunteers and takes away from the level of service they can provide.
So, they need support.
People can help by adopting, fostering, volunteering, and taking proactive steps to be a responsible pet owner.
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“A lot of people are under the impression that having the microchip is enough,” Boylston said. “If you aren’t keeping that information up to date, if you haven’t checked it in a year or two, it is really important to make sure that we can get you reunited with your pet should you get separated.”
The shelter is currently housing more than 160 dogs which is about 70% above the ideal capacity.
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The rise in cost of living, groceries, and pet care has the shelter struggling to find positive placements for the dogs as quickly as they are coming in.
“We’ve got housing instability,” Boylston said. “As people are moving or struggling to find a place to rent there are size and breed restrictions that are keeping people from adopting.” All fees are waived for adoptions and reclaims through the end of the March. The shelter is open every day of the week except for Wednesdays.
Click here for more information about the shelter.
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