The Mendocino County Animal Shelter is asking people to foster and adopt dogs because the shelter is over capacity, it said.
The shelter on Wednesday took to social media to ask people to foster dogs. “Every kennel, every crate, every corner of our shelter is full,” it said. “We are overflowing with dogs who want nothing more than a chance–a chance to live, to be loved, and to have a family of their own … We are begging for fosters. Even opening your home to one dog can save a life. It gives us the space to take in another who is desperate and waiting.”
The county-operated shelter in Ukiah oversees animal care response services for all of Mendocino County.
Shelter supervisor Adriana Vega said they cleared five or six kennels through adoptions last week, but over the weekend law enforcement brought in more dogs, and the shelter is again over capacity.
“We are completely full,” Vega said in an interview Thursday. “We have to take in dogs — injured dogs and strays — from the Sheriff’s Office or the Ukiah Police Department.”
The county shelter is the only one in Mendocino County with a euthanasia option. When it is over capacity, animals are more likely to be euthanized to keep numbers down.
Vega said the shelter does not want to euthanize healthy animals. “That’s why we’re reaching out for fosters. The community is good at stepping up,” she said.
Fostering provides a temporary, safe home for dogs and cats. The shelter provides support, food, veterinary care, crates and bedding–the foster family provides a safe, loving environment. This helps pets become socialized and less stressed as the shelter works to match them with a permanent family.
It’s a low-maintenance way to give back to the community, Vega said.
“Honestly, our dogs don’t need 24-hour care,” she said. “Even if they’re crated for a few hours a day, that’s better than being in a kennel at the shelter. They need to be in a home environment.”
Adoptions are also needed. All the animals at the shelter are looking for a permanent home, Vega said.
The shelter offers a spay and neuter financial assistance program and a low-cost vaccine clinic four times a year, with $10 vaccinations. The goal is to make adoption as easy and affordable as possible.
Foster families must live in Mendocino County, but families from across Northern California are welcome to visit the shelter and adopt animals.
For more information call (707) 463-4427 or visit www.mendoanimalshelter.com.
This story originally appeared in The Mendocino Voice.