Dog (Image used under license from Shutterstock.com)
Anthony DeHart
The Wake County Animal Center continues to treat and rehome thousands of homeless animals every year. The center is at full capacity, and urging people to consider adopting a new furry friend.
Megan Frost, community outreach manager for the center, joined Jeff Hamlin on the WPTF Afternoon News to discuss the situation. She said it’s getting dire.
“This is the closest that we have been since the pandemic to the euthanasia of healthy adoptable dogs, just due to there being no space,” Frost said.
The center has 144 dogs, three puppies, five cats, and one kitten available for adoption. Frost is urging the community to help find a new home for these pets, especially dogs.
“We are at a deficit right now of kennel space available for dogs and we are just urging the community to help us in whatever way they can,” Frost said.
Frost said that if things don’t improve, the center will have to make some tough decisions.
“So far we haven’t had the conversation of who exactly would be put to sleep if we ran out of space,” Frost said. “It would mean that eight-year record broken and it would mean that we would have to euthanize and take someone’s life simply because we do not have room for anyone else coming in.”
The center has waived adoption fees for some of their extended-stay pets.
“All of our long-timer dogs, those 35 to 40 dogs who have been in our care for 15 days or longer actually have waived adoption fees now, to where it would be free to adopt one of these overlooked but fabulous dogs,” Frost said.
To learn more about adopting a pet from the Wake County Animal Center, you can call 919-212-PETS or email [email protected].
You can listen to the full conversation here, or listen to the latest episodes of the WPTF Afternoon News here.