A year after the pandemic puppy boom, Charlotte's animal shelter is full and Animal Care & Control is asking the community to help alleviate the problem by fostering, adopting or taking dogs home for a "staycation."
"The situation has quickly become urgent," said Josh Fisher, director of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's Animal Care & Control Division, in a news release Thursday.
Typically, shelters are more crowded in summer months, Fisher added. But Thursday, AC&C reached a point where all its dog kennels were full.
Most of the dogs are strays, rather than owner surrender, spokesperson Melissa Knicely said. Since July 1, 53% of animals coming into the shelter are stray dogs.
Additionally, there are more kittens than a year ago, Knicely said.
The Charlotte community can help by 1. adopting a dog, 2. fostering a dog to free up space in the shelter for animals who need special care or management, or 3. providing a "staycation" for a dog by bringing a dog home for up to five days to give it a break from the shelter environment.
More information can be found here.