The Wake County Animal Center is facing a critical situation as it approaches maximum capacity, with an overwhelming number of animals in need of permanent homes. In the hopes of encouraging adoption, the center is once again waiving all adoption fees for dogs that have been living in shelter pens for 21 days or more. The week-long promotion will end next Monday, June 12.
“We had tremendous success with our last long-timer campaign, with 32 dogs finding forever homes over just a 10-day period at the beginning of May – we know Wake County can come to the rescue again!” said Wake County Board of Commissioner Cheryl Stallings. “Our community continues to show incredible support for our animals and our shelter – the only one in Wake County that does NOT turn any animals away.”
The center currently has 95 dogs on the adoption floor, 32 in foster care and another 44 in staff-only areas. Of those 95 dogs, 45 have been waiting in the shelter for more than three weeks. They are especially homesick for their forever homes and, again, are available at no cost now through June 12. You can view those animals at pets.wake.gov. They have an orange “featured” button under their photos.
Adoption fees are typically $95 for dogs, $45 for cats under five years old and $15 for cats more than five years old. Before leaving the center, all dogs receive spay/neuter surgery, microchipping and required vaccinations.
There are 75 kennels available for dogs at the shelter off New Bern Avenue in north Raleigh. They are double-sided enclosures allow the animals enough room to move around, which is preferred since stays at the shelter can be long. Now, to accommodate the recent overflow of pets, staff are having to divide those kennels up into two smaller compartments. This results in a crowded adoption floor, with spacing that puts stress on the dogs’ physical and emotional health.
“While our staff and wonderful volunteers work to give the animals under our care all the attention and love we can, living for weeks on end in an animal shelter is not healthy for any animal – physically or mentally,” said Dr. Jennifer Federico, Wake County Animal Center Director. “Double-sided enclosures help prevent the spread of disease, especially for young animals and those recently admitted to shelters. When we have to move to single enclosures, we’re putting these pets at risk, but we do not have any other option.”
Animals brought in as strays for protective custody or for bite quarantines must legally be held by the shelter. When pet owners make an appointment to give up their pet, shelter staff are fully transparent and explain that if the center runs out of space, it is animals on the adoption floor who will be euthanized first. We strongly encourage anyone who needs to surrender an animal to work to rehome their pet by using these tips.
Ready to adopt? Check out our adoption gallery or come by and see the sweet faces for yourself! The shelter is open for adoptions daily from noon to 6 p.m. seven days a week. The Wake County Animal Center is located at 820 Beacon Lake Drive, near the intersection of I-440 and New Bern Ave. in Raleigh.
