Orange County Animal Services Beyond Capacity, Ask Community to Adopt or Foster Animals

Orange County, FL – Orange County Animal Services (OCAS) announced today the shelter is completely full and is urging area residents to foster or adopt animals. Shelter officials say the dire situation is a result of a days-long stretch of high intakes and two confiscation cases.

OCAS is now caring for 600 pets: 226 dogs and 112 cats at its shelter off Conroy Road. Already there are 236 cats and 26 dogs in foster homes throughout Central Florida. To help place more animals in caring homes, adoption fees for all pets are reduced to $10 through Sunday, May 19.

“Just yesterday we took in 91 dogs and cats,” said Diane Summers, Manager for Orange County Animal Services. “This pushed the shelter beyond capacity and we’re urging those in our community who have a heart for animals to adopt, to foster, to volunteer, and to share our message.”

The shelter hit capacity while shelters across the country are dealing with the peak of “Kitten Season.” Kitten Season is the time of year when cats are having more babies. May is the peak month, but the season runs from April to October.

“We’re only halfway through the month and have already received more than 300 kittens,” said Summers. “We’re in desperate need of foster homes for kittens. Just a few weeks of care for the little ones makes all the difference.”

In addition to the reduced adoption fees, OCAS will attend the second annual “Mega Adoption Event” in Plant City, which starts Friday, May 17 and runs through Sunday, May 19. The event advertises more than 300 dogs available for adoption from nine shelters from surrounding counties. OCAS has set a goal of 150 pet adoptions for the event and the shelter over the three-day period.

On Tuesday, May 14, OCAS handled two unrelated confiscation cases where dogs were found in poor living conditions. The first case occurred in Apopka, where Animal Services Officers found an emaciated German Shepherd dog and many more animals in unsafe structures with excrement and urine and a lack of access to food and water (pictures attached). The second case occurred in the Pine Hills area where law enforcement raided a home and arrested the occupants, resulting in five dogs being impounded at the shelter. These dogs are not available for placement while their legal cases are ongoing. Both cases have been shared with law enforcement.

The shelter keeps a live tally of dogs and cats in the shelter on the main page of its website. Information on the adoption process and foster program onboarding can also be found online.