CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – Because of overcrowding, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control is halting owner surrenders.
The shelter has been putting out desperate calls for adopters and fosters as kennels have continued to fill up more and more over the last year.
“On a day that we are happy to have 20 dog adoptions/fosters going out the door, at the same time we have 15 strays/owner surrenders coming in and sadly we see no light at the end of this very long tunnel,” said Melissa Knicely, Communications and Outreach Manager at AC&C in a press release.
[CMPD: Dog kennels at capacity, euthanasia may happen]
At the time of the press release’s writing, the shelter had a total of 208 dogs at the shelter and 282 in their care total (including fosters and staycations).
“We simply do not have room for them,” said Dr. Fisher, Director of AC&C in the same release. “ACC officers are doing everything they can to get lost pets’ home in the community before bringing them into the shelter, but between lost dogs that we are unable to find an owner, long-term case dogs, and dogs that pose a public safety risk to our community, our kennels are at capacity.”
Those who have already booked an appointment to surrender their dog will be called to cancel the appointment and provided with other resources.
The shelter is running an adoption special for all animals through December 31: Adoptions are free with a monetary donation to any of the shelter’s programs.
To help combat overcrowding, the community is encouraged to spay and neuter their pets, make sure they’re microchipped and the registration is up-to-date, they always have an I.D. tag (provided free by AC&C, if you need one), and of course, foster or adopt a dog.
Want to learn how you can foster or adopt? Visit animals.cmpd.org or visit the shelter at 8315 Byrum Drive, Charlotte.
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