Bakersfield, California 2021-06-30 19:46:00 –

The influx of stray dogs made the Bakersfield Animal Care Center tense. The center has waived pet regeneration and adoption fees in an attempt to open up more space.

On Wednesday, the shelter housed 225 dogs in a facility designed for 218. However, even if the dog is dropped, few residents have visited for landfill or adoption.

Julie Son, Executive Director of the Animal Care Center and SPCA, said: "At some point we will be overloaded."

Evacuation shelter managers cannot determine why dogs are starting to appear, but dog intake has been steadily increasing since the state began to reopen.

During the pandemic, the Animal Care Center maintained a capacity of about 25% and grew rapidly to over 100%. Shelter struggles to accommodate the pitbull, husky, and German shepherd, which make up the majority of the shelter's population. Unlike small dogs, large dogs cannot be "doubled" with a pen and are usually the most difficult to employ.

Some employees are working on putting their dogs to sleep in their office. On Wednesday, Johnson comforted a Border Collie mix that was dropped over a fence before the Animal Care Center opened that morning.

"It breaks my heart for older dogs above all," she said, saying that those dogs have become accustomed to their own homes and families.

There are no signs that the drop-off will be delayed immediately. Reports of stray dogs tend to increase after July 4, when fireworks scare animals and flee.

"When it starts to get warmer and the puppy and kitten season begins, all shelters are affected," said Tammy Davis, Bakersfield Animal Care Supervisor. "Last year, the fact that everyone was changing the way we do business made everything look even more amazing."

However, unlike the Animal Care Center, the city's animal management department has not experienced a significant increase in reservoirs. According to ministry statistics, reservoirs only increased from 212 in June 2019 to 243 in June 2021.

"It's pretty consistent. It could go down or up by 10 to 20 percent," Davis said. "Our call volume has steadily declined between 2010 and 2016 … Now we are back at the other end of the spectrum."

Khan County Animal Services has also not experienced above average numbers of dogs coming to shelters. Director Nick Karen said that more dogs than usual are usually seen in county shelters in June, but the number during this period is not above normal.

"Usually there will be more warm months in animal shelters, but unfortunately there are many warm months in Bakersfield," he said. "We are packed in the gills, but we are actually accepting fewer animals than we were two years ago."

Whatever the reason, staff are worried that the overcrowding of animal care centers may endanger the high live release data of shelters. Currently, shelters only euthanize animals due to illness or injury. However, it re-emerged concerns that many dogs would be forced to change staff.

"It's crushing us. We'll never go back to the era of euthanizing the universe. We refuse to do that," Johnson said. "We don't want to be in that position. Our staff doesn't want to be in that position. Our goal is to save lives and end lives. It's not about letting you do it. "

The Animal Care Center will be exempt from charges until July 17th.

Residents can make a reservation by calling 661-832-7387. The shelter is located at 201 Nanzan.Vernon Avenue

You can reach Sammorgen at 661-395-7415. You can also follow him on Twitter @ smorgenTBC.

Bakersfield Animal Care Center waives adoption fees as dogs overwhelm facility | News Source link Bakersfield Animal Care Center waives adoption fees as dogs overwhelm facility | News