JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville’s Animal Care and Protective Services is overwhelmed with dogs.
As of Monday night, the city shelter said it had 377 dogs in its care. At most, it can hold 264 dogs comfortably. The overcrowding means that around 100 dogs are sharing kennels.
“It also means that staff and volunteers are stretched even thinner; walks, enrichment, cleaning, and promotion for adoption are all far more difficult,“ said ACPS over social media. ”There just simply isn’t enough time or enough hands to do it all.”
Not all of the dogs are coming in through official, legal means either.
At around 9 pm Sunday night, ACPS said a security guard saw someone abandon a caged puppy outside its front doors. The 13-week-old, now named Pumba, is another unwilling part of what the shelter describes as a "seemingly never-ending, heartbreaking flow of animals in need who come through our door, whether we’re open or closed."
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Action News Jax told you in June when it was revealed that dog intake numbers at ACPS were up 24% over the same time last year. Despite the increase, positive outcomes for dogs increased 7% in that same timeframe. Those numbers are only possible with community support.
The shelter announced a goal of getting 100 dogs adopted or in foster care by the end of the week.
To learn about fostering with ACPS, visit in person or email them at acpsfosters@coj.net.
The city is also always searching for volunteers.
To see adoptable animals, click here.
Related: Is your local animal shelter ‘no-kill’? What it means and how you can help
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