Shelter waives adoption fees amid overcrowding

Dog sitting on front of wall
The Alachua County Animal Resources and Care shelter will waive adoption fees for the month of June due to critical overcrowding.

The Alachua County Animal Resources and Care shelter recently announced that it will waive adoption fees for the month of June due to critical overcrowding. 

According to a release, all adoption fees are being waived until the shelter can reach a manageable capacity.

To adopt a pet, a person must be 18 or older and show identification with proof of current address. The shelter vaccinates cats and dogs along with placing a microchip and sterilizing prior to going home. To view the shelter’s adoptable animals, click here

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The shelter, located at 3400 NE 53rd Avenue in Gainesville, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., excluding holidays. Click here to see the shelter’s adoption procedures

The shelter also needs volunteer dog walkers and is seeking fostering opportunities with a one-month minimum availability commitment. To volunteer, click here for requirements. To foster animals, email foster@alachuacounty.us

According to the release, intakes have exceeded outcomes (adoptions, transfers, and owner reclaims) in recent months. 

Springtime has brought its usual overabundance of kittens and puppies, according to the release, which has contributed to overcrowding. There are currently upwards of 50 dogs above what the current shelter was designed to hold. The county is also being affected, like many businesses nationwide, by a staffing shortage.  

For people trying to locate a lost pet, click here to look over the found pets photos. 

“There is an overabundance of animals in our southern shelters,” said Cathy Bissell, founder of the BISSELL Pet Foundation, in a recent online article. “Shelters that have not euthanized for space in years are now having to make those painful choices.”

For more information, contact the Alachua County Animal Resources and Care office at 352-264-6870 or email ​acas@alachuacounty.us

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