Tacoma animal shelter caring for 264 dogs, highest number in 7 years

There is no room for newcomers at Tacoma’s animal shelter. So if you find a lost or stray dog, you’re asked not to bring it there, for now. Instead, the shelter will provide you with some supplies you might need to take care of it temporarily.

The Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County has 264 dogs in its care, the most it has seen in seven years.

This comes after an animal cruelty investigation on Dec. 16 that brought in nearly 60 additional dogs and cats. Pierce County Animal Control officers confiscated all those animals from a single property. After the search, they brought 36 dogs and 23 cats to the shelter for care.

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Even before all those unexpected arrivals, there were 147 dogs at the shelter, not including the number of dogs at foster homes, nearly 100 additional dogs.

Now, nearly two weeks later, the number of dogs under the shelter’s care is overwhelming. And they said it’s putting a significant strain on the shelter’s outdated facility and its resources.

“While we need adopters and foster volunteers, we need more,” Emily Keegans, the chief operating officer of the humane society, said in a statement released to the media. “We need the community’s active participation in animal welfare.”

There are so many dogs within the overcrowded shelter, the staff had to convert office space into temporary kennels. They have repurposed that office space to house several dogs. The lack of space has also led officials to encourage those who find lost dogs to keep them for now.

In fact, they said the odds of finding a pet’s owner are higher when they’re kept in the communities where they have been found.

“Most lost pets don’t wander far from home,” Keegans said in the released statement. “While many think the shelter is the best option for found animals, bringing them to a shelter can actually hinder their chances of quickly reuniting with their families. Temporarily caring for lost pets near where they were found is often the fastest way to get them back home.”

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She said because the Tacoma shelter is outdated and has limited resources, the public’s support is “essential” during this capacity crisis.

“The number of animals coming in exceeds the number going out into new homes,” Keegans said. “This crisis underscores the need for our community to help prevent unnecessary shelter entries, ensuring our limited resources can continue to serve animals in need of immediate medical attention.”

The shelter said the community can play an active role and help the agency get through this overcrowding crisis by temporarily caring for lost and found pets. Check for ID tags, post signs in the neighborhood where the pet was found and use local lost-and-found platforms to help reunite the pet with their family. The shelter can assist by scanning for a microchip, posting found pets on its website, and providing additional support to facilitate reunification. Additionally, the shelter can provide food, supplies, and crates (while supplies last). For more information and resources, visit www.thehumanesociety.org/lostpets.

Also, adopting. With 264 dogs under the shelter’s care, adopters are desperately needed to provide loving homes and create life-changing spaces for animals in need at the shelter. The shelter plans to waive adoption fees for dogs one year and older Jan. 2-5. To view all animals available for adoption, visit the shelter website at www.thehumanesociety.org/adopt.

And last but not least, fostering. For those unable to adopt, the shelter is seeking foster volunteers who are able to foster dogs. Foster volunteers provide a temporary safe space for a dog in need, while the shelter provides all the supplies and ongoing veterinary care. Learn more about fostering at www.thehumanesociety.org/get-involved/foster.

Tom Brock is a weekend editor, reporter and anchor for KIRO Newsradio.