The overwhelming number of homeless dogs is putting extreme pressure on New Jersey animal shelters. At least one facility he has is not accepting any dogs due to crowding.
And there appears to be a connection to the coronavirus pandemic.
When Morgan Eveland of National Parks saw the adoption listing for a 3-year-old pit bull mix named Millie, she knew the pup would be the perfect fit for her family.
“We decided to foster and officially adopted her,” Eveland told NBC10.
The South Jersey Regional Animal Shelter in Vineland desperately needs more people to do the same work.
“We are in a critical situation,” said shelter worker Jessica Morrison. “We regularly have to make life-or-death decisions.”
For more than a year, staff have been working to accommodate an unprecedented number of dogs in need of new homes.
The facility is approximately 140% above capacity. The total number of dogs imported last year increased by more than 800 dogs compared to 2022.
“This is the worst we've seen here in the last 10 years in terms of the rise in cases,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.
The shelter is hosting an event called “Far the Weekend Getaway,” where dogs can be adopted for just $14 for six months leading up to Valentine's Day.
“We have to use our office space as needed to help animals in non-traditional ways,” Morrison explained.
Meanwhile, the Toms River Animal Shelter hasn't taken in any new dogs in recent weeks.
Instead of going to the Toms River shelter, some pets ended up at two facilities in Ocean County.
“Right now we're at less than 50% capacity,” said Daniel Regenier with the Ocean County Health Department. “Now that we have these numbers coming in, we can make sure we can accommodate the animals that come to us.”
Staff say many of the dogs that come in have one thing in common.
Staff say a significant number of people who adopted pets during the pandemic say they are no longer able to keep them.
“The economy is involved in this,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. “So many people contact us because they can't find affordable, pet-friendly housing.”
For the people of Camden County, Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center is currently offering reduced adoption fees for all dogs and cats of just $5 through Valentine's Day.
