The Lake County Animal Shelter is currently facing a critical situation as it finds itself over capacity for dogs, with nearly 170 canines in need of forever homes. Whitney Boylston, Director of Lake County Animal Services, has issued an urgent plea for help from the community to alleviate the strain on the shelter and ensure that every dog receives the care and attention it deserves.

“We’re currently housing about 170 dogs and we know we’ve got more on the way in today,” Whitney says. ” And so what that means is not every dog is going to be able to get the care that it deserves.”

The increase in the length of stay for dogs at the shelter has exacerbated the situation. Previously, dogs would spend only minutes or hours at the shelter before finding homes. However, many dogs are now spending days or even weeks in the shelter, leading to overcrowding and limited resources.

One such dog is Harley, a long-term resident of the Lake County Animal Shelter who has been in their care for over a thousand days. Despite his friendly demeanor and love for play, Harley has yet to find his forever family, highlighting the challenges faced by shelter animals like him.

“We’re daily playing a game we call musical dogs which is where we’re shuffling and moving and trying to make space for everybody who is incoming,” Whitney says.

To address the urgent need for adoptions and fosters, the Lake County Animal Shelter is waiving reclaim and adoption fees through the end of the month. Additionally, the shelter urges pet owners to check and update their pet’s microchip information to prevent unnecessary stays at the shelter.

Whether you can adopt, foster, volunteer, or share our message on social media, every action counts in helping these dogs find their forever homes.

For more information on how to adopt, foster, or update microchip information, please visit the Lake County Animal Shelter website at https://www.lakecountyfl.gov/animal-shelter.