CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Animal Care is in urgent need of volunteers, fosters and people interested in adopting pets as overcrowding issues worsen in shelters.
The shelter has been dealing with overcrowding as adoptions slow, while intake remains constant.
“We’re the landing place for all the homeless pets,” said Shelter Director Meaghan Colville. “When when an animal a cat or dog finds himself without a home, they come here, and they are often confused. They're scared. They don't know where the owner is.”
Colville said adoptions slowed after an outbreak of canine distemper virus (CDV) earlier this year.
Colville said the pets in the shelter are healthy now and the outbreak has passed, but she believes some people might still be “spooked.”
“The reason we have illness is because we have so many animals here,” she said. “So it really helps us avoid illnesses to get animals out the door.”
The shelter takes in close to 8,000 animals a year.
The shelter’s dogs have been particularly impacted by the overcrowding, with some being placed in pop-up pens.
Dogs spend most of their time inside their crate or pen, with just a short walk or visit outside for the bathroom.
“It's kind of like in a classroom,” Colville said. “If you got one teacher, 15 kids, those kids are getting some one-on-one attention. You got one teacher and 30 kids, their attention is cut in half.”
More volunteers means more time outside. More fosters means fewer dogs and cats in the shelters overall.
“We do have people that say, ‘I can't foster right now because I go to work all day and the dog would just be in a crate,’” Colville said. “They're in a crate here, so we would love to see them be in your home, be able to get out in the morning, get out at night and spend time in a home that's quiet, where they can get a little bit more one-on-one attention.”
If you are unable to adopt, foster or volunteer, monetary donations are helpful too. You can learn more about all opportunities to help the shelter here.
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