The Harris County Animal Shelter in Houston, Texas put out a desperate plea for adopters when more than 200 dogs and cats were surrendered over the holiday weekend.
The shelter, designed to hold 150 animals, is now busting at the seams with 375 pets – 231 cats, 144 dogs across all ages – available for adoption when more than 200 pets were surrendered over Memorial Day Weekend. To accommodate the surrendered pets, the shelter was forced to put up to 4 animals in cages and kennels designed for one.
“We don’t really have a direct answer why Memorial Day weekend we saw such a high intake,” Kerry McKeel, senior communications specialist for the shelter, told KHOU. “Some responses we did get were, ‘We can’t afford to keep them anymore,’ ‘We don’t have time,’ ‘We have too many.’ It’s kind of run the gamut of different responses of why people are bringing them in.”
Among those surrendered was Lee, a curly haired Poodle mix, who was left in a crate along with a heartbreaking note from an owner that couldn’t afford to care for him.
The shelter desperately asking the community to help, either through adoptions or fostering. To encourage adoptions, the shelter is offering $10 adoptions for dogs and cats, a cost that includes shots, spay/neuter and a microchip.
Check out “Ready-To-Go” Dogs and Cats on their Facebook page, right here.
Harris County Animal Shelter adoption hours are 1-5:50 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Saturday or Sunday. The shelter is located at 612 Canino Road in Houston.
“We are really counting on the community to step forward by fostering or adopting when the needs are this great,” McKeel said.
