Charlotte animal shelter ‘overfull,’ desperate for adoptions, fosters

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Euthanasia is an option if Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department Animal Care & Control can’t clear up some of their kennels, the department said Thursday.

The shelter is “overfull,” and the situation is “dire.”

Dogs who have been in the adoption kennels for a long time and are showing signs of kennel stress may have to be euthanized.

“The biggest message we need help communicating is the urgent need for help for the public to not wait until they hear that it’s an urgent need for dog adoptions on the news. We have literally been in urgent or crisis status for over two years,” said CMPD AC&C Communications Manager Melissa Knicely. “We all know that I can’t just email every week to say we are critical, or I begin to sound like I’m crying wolf. The assumption should be that now and for the foreseeable future, we are always in crisis mode for help with dogs.”

[Read also: CMPD Animal Care & Control hits max capacity for dogs]

Adopters and fosters are in desperate need, and even a five-day staycation will clear up a kennel for a bit.

On Friday, the shelter provided an update to their kennel situation:

We are down to 24 dogs on the move list which is the lowest it’s been in a hot minute!

We have 14 open kennels in lost dog

We have 13 open kennels in adoption dog

Hallelujah! We had 34 dogs leave on 4-6-23 via foster:  20 staycations and 14 R&R

But the need to clear the shelter remains.

Staff are also asking folks who find a dog to report it to Animal Care & Control, but hold on to it for the time being. The dog can be scanned for a microchip at several locations.

The shelter will be closed Friday, April 7 for Good Friday.

Adoptions are free through March with a financial donation. Interested in helping out? Visit Animal Care & Control’s website.

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