Orange County Animal Services Near Capacity with Dogs: Shelter Has Received 109 in Last Week Alone

Orange County, Fla. – Orange County Animal Services is struggling with canine capacity yet again, with currently 174 dogs in the shelter’s care. Over the past week, from Monday, October 18 through Sunday, October 24, the shelter received 109 dogs, 34 of which were surrendered by their owners.

“We just celebrated a massive victory here with Cano, our longtime shelter resident, finally landing a home on Saturday, but that joy has been short-lived as we face the overwhelming quantity of dogs still in our shelter, said Diane Summers, manager for Orange County Animal Services. “We’ve leaned on our community before in times of need and have never been let down, we hope we can rely on that support again as we ask for adopters to step forward for these available dogs.”

The shelter has approximately 35 dogs currently available for immediate adoption, meaning they have already been spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped so can leave immediately with their new families.

As kennel space is limited, the shelter is encouraging owners on the brink of surrendering to explore all alternatives before relinquishing to the shelter. Alternatives include inquiring with friends and family, contacting local rescue groups and rehoming through online sites like https://rehome.adoptapet.com/.

“Animal Services is the safety net for pets in need,” said Summers. “It’s definitely a troubling sign to see so many animals coming in, really stretching that safety net to its fullest.

Those interested in adopting are encouraged to check out the available pets on the shelter’s website here. More information on the adoption process can be found here.