HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — The Harris County Animal Shelter needs help finding a home for hundreds of dogs and cats displaced from Hurricane Harvey.
The shelter is currently way over capacity after an influx of animals were brought in because of the storm. Right now, the shelter is so overcrowded, the animals are forced to live with two, three, sometimes even four others in one kennel.
Dr. Michael White is the director of the Veterinary Public Health Division at the Harris County Animal Shelter. He said animals are more susceptible to illnesses when the shelter is overcrowded.
“They’re more susceptible to getting sick because of the stress level. It is stressful for an animal to be brought into a shelter like this. A lot of these animals are accustomed to being in a home. And when they’re brought into a facility like this, or any shelter where you’re confining their mobility, it’s stressful,” White said.
Besides their adorable little faces, as an added incentive, the shelter is offering waived adoption fees for anyone that fosters a Harvey dog.
“We have about 250 dogs and cats that could go out right now into fosters, either to be adopted, fostered or fostered to adopt. If anyone agrees to foster to adopt one of our Harvey dogs, and they hold it until the end of the 30-day period, then the adoption fee will be waived,” White explained.
Although there is a dire need for people to step up and become pet owners, White wants to remind everyone of the responsibilities that come with it.
“Anytime someone is going to adopt, they need to make sure that they have the time, the energy, the money and the space. It takes all of those things to be a responsible pet owner,” White said.
