ACCT Philly pleading with residents to help clear its shelter
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- ACCT Philly said it's euthanizing dogs right now for a lack of space. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time the shelter has experienced overcrowding issues.
The obvious ask for the community on Tuesday night is to come out and adopt – but ACCT Philly said there are other ways you can help, too.
"I feel like it's like Groundhog Day, ya know? Where every week we're full, we're full, we're full," Sarah Barnett, the executive director of ACCT Philly, said.
ACCT Philly is in crisis mode.
"It's at the point now where we had three days in a row this past weekend where we went down the aisles and had to look for dogs that had been here a while or weren't kenneling well," Barnett said.
Barnett said the shelter is right now euthanizing dogs for space. This is a look at the kennel area – where these crates are used for overflow housing.
Since Oct. 1, the shelter's $10 adoption promotion has helped more than 50 dogs find a new home.
In the same time frame, ACCT Philly has seen more than 170 dogs come in, adding to the crowded quarters and leading to some very heart wrenching decisions.
Over the past 5 days we have had a total of 109 adoptions! 32 dogs 🐶and 77 cats 🐱 have found their furever homes! 🏡 As...
Posted by ACCT Philly on Monday, October 9, 2023
Ernest Gundy was at the shelter adopting a dog while CBS Philadelphia was there Tuesday.
"I was scrolling through Instagram. I saw a post where they have pretty much $10 adoptions and if they weren't adopted, they would be put down," Ernest Gundy said.
That post was the catalyst for Gundy to come down and find a friend for his beloved mini Goldendoodle, Blue.
"I'm like well when he's home alone, he seems he's like lonely. So I was like I got to find somebody for him," he said.
In the end, Noodle was the one for Gundy.
"Yeah, this feels good. Yeah," he said.
Barnett said adoption isn't the only thing the community can do to help. She encourages people to foster, volunteer and consider donating money.
"A lot of these reasons these people are surrendering are poverty-related, cost-related. So until we really get those systemic issues fixed in the city, we're going to keep seeing this," she said.
Through Oct. 15, ACCT Philly will continue the $10 adoption promotion for all of the animals here at the shelter.
ACCT Philly is open from 10 to 6 p.m. daily.