If you want a dog, now’s the time. Wake County needs to make space in animal shelter
If you’re looking to adopt a dog, Wake County says now is the best time.
The Wake County Animal Center is full and is encouraging people to adopt dogs this week at the shelter to reduce the load.
Otherwise, some dogs will have to be euthanized if the capacity remains full, the county said in a news release Tuesday.
Dogs who are up for adoption can be seen online at pets.wakegov.com, and the county is encouraging those who cannot adopt a dog right now to share profiles of the shelter’s dogs to help them find a home.
There are dozens of dogs on the shelter’s website, as of Tuesday afternoon. Cat rooms on the adoption floor are not at capacity, Jennifer Federico, Animal Services Director for Wake County.
Federico said owner-surrendered pets “unfortunately” make up 25% to 30% of the shelter’s overall intake.
“Not all of these animals are adoptable and placed on our adoption floor,” Federico said in an email. “Some are available only to transfer partners due to medical/behavioral issues – and some of these are euthanized when we cannot find a rescue to commit to them and we don’t have the space to continue to hold them.
“This is a reason that we want owners to do everything they can first to place their pet that they have had in their family and know the best,” Federico said.
The number of animals euthanized by Wake County has decreased in the past few years. In fiscal year 2021, there were 769 animals. That’s compared to 1,273 in 2020 and 2,268 in 2019.
The animal shelter has a capacity of 85 kennels in the five dog rooms of the public adoption floor, according to Federico. Non-public dog rooms have a limit of 75 kennels, which are for dogs with medical issues or who are quarantined.
Some animals in those cases were owner-requested euthanasias, injured wildlife or rabies vectors, bite animals or animals with major medical problems who would not be up for adoption or release, Federico said.
The shelter is located in east Raleigh at 820 Beacon Lake Drive.
Tips for finding homes for stray dogs
The Wake County Animal Center offered the following tips to the public:
▪ If you come across a stray dog, please try to find the owner before bringing the dog to the shelter. You can ask a local veterinarian to check for a microchip and also post the animal on NextDoor, TrianglelLostPets.org or a local Facebook group.
▪ Pet owners who need to rehome their pets should do so themselves by posting online, asking friends and family or possibly returning the pet to the place or person they got it from. The Wake County Animal Center only accepts pet owner surrenders by appointment so that space can be managed at the shelter.
“We don’t want to euthanize for space, and this plea is to make our community aware of the urgent need,” the shelter said in an emailed statement. “Every stray you help find the owner of and every pet you own and place yourself will help save the life of a pet already at the shelter. There are only so many kennels and we need YOUR help.”
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This story was originally published June 21, 2022 at 4:03 PM with the headline "If you want a dog, now’s the time. Wake County needs to make space in animal shelter."
