ACCT Philly isn’t mincing words: Animal shelter officials are describing a crisis of epidemic proportions taking place as the shelter literally runs out of space.
ACCT Philly Executive Director Sarah Barnett told NBC10 Philadelphia that the city’s open-intake animal shelter is at capacity. As a result, staff may have to euthanize more dogs to make room for new arrivals.
Action News 6abc reported that two dogs have already been euthanized because of a lack of space. Another dog, an 8-year-old named Rocklansy, has been marked urgent and needs placement by Aug. 1 at 10 a.m.
According to Barnett, the shelter has experienced a significant increase in owner surrenders over the past several weeks. At the same time, pet adoptions have declined.
More than 600 animals arrived at ACCT Philly this week alone, the highest weekly intake the organization has experienced in more than 10 years, according to NBC10.
Officials say they are also on track to take in 700 dogs during July alone, a level they have not seen in a decade, according to 6abc.
“We are in crisis. July is pretty bad. August is pretty bad. We have a lot of animals that need help,” Barnett stated.
Financial hardship and a shortage of affordable housing are driving up pet surrenders, as families struggle to keep pets when options are limited, Barnett explained to NBC10. “The cost of pet food has gone up, and it’s called petflation, is what they are calling it now. The cost of vet care has increased far beyond normal inflation.”
ACCT Philly is urging the public to help by fostering, volunteering, or adopting a pet from ACCT Philly.
Several donors are providing adoption incentives: $200 for fostering a dog, $150 for fostering cats with nursing kittens, and $750 for rescue partners taking in a large dog.
Additionally, ACCT Philly is waiving adoption fees on weekends throughout August. Residents in 22 Philadelphia ZIP codes can also sign up online to receive free spay and neuter services.