Orange County Animal Services Overwhelmed, Caring for Nearly 300 Pets

Shelter Asks for Community Help Finding Adopters, Foster Parents

Orange County, Fla. – Orange County Animal Services (OCAS) is currently caring for 175 dogs and 124 cats, a total of 299 pets. OCAS serves as the county’s only open admission pet shelter, which means no animal in need is ever turned away.  As a result, the shelter is nearing capacity with resources stretched thin. Animal Services is calling on the community for help, asking for interested adopters and foster parents to step forward immediately to care for the animals.

“We’re no strangers to asking for help when needed and we’ve been amazed each and every time we’ve turned to the community for support,” said Diane Summers, manager for Orange County Animal Services. “We are in urgent need of assistance yet again and I want to implore everyone to try to help in some way – whether that be by adopting a shelter pet, temporarily fostering an animal or helping to spread the word.”

In recent weeks, Animal Services had to assist with several different seizures of animals from substandard conditions and provide for their care. The shelter is currently caring for 51 dogs from various cases, the largest of which was an impound of 33 dogs from a single residence.

Those animals have consumed the shelter’s isolation building and a portion of the main building for adoptable dogs, shrinking the space for available dogs. The shelter is seeking adopters specifically for the dogs available for adoption, many of which have already been spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped, making them eligible for immediate adoption.

During May, the shelter is offering a Bridgerton-themed promotion, titled Lady Whiskertown, which reduces the fees for dogs and cats ready for immediate adoption to $10, in an effort to highlight these pets.

In addition to the many dogs available for adoption, the shelter is seeing a high volume of cats, specifically kittens, arriving daily. OCAS has an active foster care program, but the number of available foster homes has quickly been overwhelmed by the number of litters. The shelter currently has 169 cats and kittens in foster care, with more arriving daily.

The shelter is in desperate need of foster parents for the kittens. Those with prior experience caring for cats and kittens are especially critical during this time. OCAS now offers virtual onboarding to the foster care program and provides all necessary food and medical supplies for the pets in their temporary homes.

Those in a position to help are encouraged to check out the available pets on the shelter’s website here. Adoption visitation is currently conducted via appointment. More information on the adoption process, including access to the booking site to make an appointment, visit the shelter’s webpage.

Information on the shelter’s foster care program, including the inquiry form to get started, can be found on the shelter’s foster webpage. Visit ocnetpets.com for more details on Orange County Animal Services.