A couple of puppies at a San Diego animal shelter.
The San Diego Humane Society (SDHS) is seeking the public’s help as it’s enduring an unprecedented number of animal intake, exceeding capacity at its animal shelters.
As of Wednesday, SDHS was at 131% capacity for its dog population, with a total of 459 dogs under its care with only 350 kennels, according to Nina Thompson, Director of Public Relations San Diego Humane Society. At this time, nearly 215 dogs are available for adoption across all four campuses of SDHS.
San Diego News
Here are some things you can do to help the San Diego Humane Society during this time:
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
Adopt
Anyone interested in adopting a dog or another pet from SDHS can visit its website to apply for the animal of their choosing. Adoptions are done in person on a first-come, first-served basis.
Including dogs, SDHS currently has 1,034 animals in its care, with 520 of them eligible for adoption.
Foster
Those who would like to help the San Diego Humane Society but who are unable to make the commitment to a pet can foster animals in their homes.
“You can give an animal a temporary break from the shelter and create space for other animals with nowhere else to turn,” Thompson said in a statement. Anyone interested in becoming a foster pet parent can click here to get started.
Reunite lost pets
If you come across a stray pet, the San Diego Humane Society recommends trying to to reunite them with their rightful owners. Rather than taking them to a shelter immediately, SDHS suggests posting lost pet fliers and making posts on social media sites like NextDoor.
