Long Beach animal services seeking increase in adoptions as kennels become overrun
Due to a sudden increase in dogs, the Long Beach Animal Shelter has resorted to possible euthanasia in order to lessen the strain on their overrun kennels.
While they say that adoptions have continued at a steady pace, especially after reaching a milestone of 1,968 adoptions in 2022, shelter workers are suddenly forced to resort to extremes with the influx of dogs being brought in.
"This is the first time we've had to consider euthanasia for space," said Megan Ignacio, with the Long Beach Animal Care Services Bureau.
As it stands, the facility, which features 99 large dog kennels, is housing 120 different canines that have now been crammed into various areas of the shelter, including portable crates, cat rooms, offices and conference rooms since there's no space elsewhere.
Ignacio attributes the massive increase in dogs being dropped off in their care to economic hardships, with many renters forced to surrender their dogs. On top of that, the recent storms are likely to have attributed to the spike.
"What tipped us over the edge was last week, when we got an influx of dogs coming in from homeless encampments," Ignacio said.
Since Long Beach Animal Services's new director took over back in 2019, they've been a strictly no-kill shelter, but last week they were forced to apply for an emergency euthanasia permit from the city in order to clear room.
There are currently nine dogs, all of which are said to be perfectly adoptable, on the kill-list, unless they are adopted by the end of March.
This is a large part of why the shelter has waived all adoption fees for large dogs through the end of the month, hoping that instead of resorting to humane euthanasia, these dogs can instead find new forever homes.
"We're asking the community to helps us prevent us from performing these humane euthanasia, by adopting and fostering," Ignacio said.
For more information on how you can adopt a pet from the Long Beach Animal Shelter, visit the Animal Care Services website.
