Stanislaus’ animal shelter flooded with rescued dogs. How the community can help
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Dog rescues from Stanislaus County hoarders this this month should mean better lives for well over 130 animals but in the meantime have the already overloaded Animal Services Agency shelter in a bind.
“We are consistently operating beyond our capacity,” reads a Facebook post Wednesday by the shelter, which has a capacity of 183 dogs but is bursting at the seams with more than 300.
Earlier this month, 14 dogs allegedly being bred and kept in a truck were rescued in south Modesto and taken to the shelter. Days later at a home on Moffett Road, south of Ceres, almost 40 dogs were rescued. And Tuesday, more than 80 dogs were pulled from horrendous conditions in a Ceres house.
Animal Services staff is looking for people to give dogs “forever” homes or foster homes until they can be adopted.
“This not only alleviates kennel space but also provides a nurturing home environment for dogs awaiting adoption, benefiting both the dogs and the community,” said Vaughn R. Maurice, executive director of Stanislaus Animal Services. “Donations are also greatly appreciated to support our efforts.”
Here’s how you can help, Stanislaus shelter says
On its Facebook page, Stanislaus Animal Services on Wednesday posted several ways people can help:
DONATE: Your support makes a meaningful difference in their lives. You can donate online by clicking this link or you can stop by our shelter to make a donation!
SUPPLIES: We have a team of skilled groomers available to provide bathing services for the dogs in our care. If you would like to support their efforts, you can donate grooming supplies through our Amazon link. (Animal Services added several purchase options to its wish list on Wednesday, including “Adopt Me” bandannas, grooming brushes, shampoos and conditioner.)
FOSTERS: At this time, the 80-plus dogs from this case are not available for fostering, but our shelter has many other dogs in need of foster homes. By fostering a dog from our shelter, you help create more space for other dogs in need. Please consider fostering one of our longest stay dogs, you can view them at tinyurl.com/sasafosters.
RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS: Please contact our rescue coordinator at rescue@stancounty.com for more information on tagging our medical need dogs from this case.
To volunteer or donate, you also can go to www.StanislausAnimalServices.com.
According to the Animal Services Agency website, all adoptable dogs will be spayed or neutered, receive a microchip and age-appropriate vaccinations. The adoption fee is $120 plus license, but for dogs more in demand, the fee rises to $370.
Certain dogs are also considered “sponsored,” meaning the adoption fees are waived.
The shelter also said early reporting of hoarding cases is crucial.
“If you suspect someone is hoarding animals, we urge you to contact animal control or the police promptly to prevent further suffering,” Maurice said. “Early intervention can mitigate the severity of such situations.”
