CLEVELAND — City Dogs Cleveland is in need of fosters and adopters after recently taking in 95 pups in one week.
Cleveland Animal Care and Control Division Manager Bruce Campbell said taking in that many dogs is unusual for this time of year.
"This past week was really unusual. I mean, it was a really high intake," Campbell said. "It's extraordinary, but it's also sad. Since I've been here, we hover well into the 130, 140, 150. We can go up to about 155 (dogs) comfortably. Well, it's not comfortably, but we can go up to that high if we have to, and we can pack them in, but it's not ideal."
City Dogs Cleveland does not accept owner surrenders.
Campbell said, "We just don't have the ability to manage that and by not taking owner surrenders, sometimes people may be forced to claim it's a stray and maybe it is their dog. They're making difficult decisions in a difficult economy and dog care can be expensive and food can be expensive, but we try to help people."
Campbell told me the shelter's resources aren't running thin, but it is making the employees and volunteers work that much harder.
Last week, 30 dogs were adopted.
Izzy Esler is the shelter's Adoption and Volunteer Coordinator.
Esler told me City Dogs Cleveland has roughly 200 active volunteers who provide the dogs with enrichment, whether that's by walking them around the block or playing with them for a half hour.
"We're really lucky to have such a great team," she said.
While the shelter has dozens of helping hands, Esler said they're in desperate need of fosters.
"I would say the greatest need is people who can do it longer term just so we can open up the space of the kennel," she said.
To be eligible to volunteer with City Dogs Cleveland, you must:
- Be 18 years or older
- Be willing/able to commit to at least four hours of volunteering per month once trained.
- If handling dogs, be physically capable of handling medium/large dogs with little-to-no assistance.
- Be willing to follow City Dogs procedures at all times.
- Be professional, reliable, open-minded, and able to collaborate with others.
Email citydogs@clevelandohio.gov or call (216) 664-3476 for more information about future volunteer opportunities.
If fostering or adopting isn't an option for you, Esler said donations are greatly appreciated.
Esler said the shelter is in need of Dawn dish soap, laundry detergent, durable chew toys, canned wet dog food, leashes, collars, treats, and spray cheese.
"There are a lot of ways to support, but definitely, you know, as the holidays approach, keep your local shelters in mind," Esler said.
For a list of adoptable dogs, click here.
"Truly, it can be the most rewarding thing ever to help a dog and and form that bond," Esler said.
Campbell is pleading with the community to give City Dogs Cleveland a chance.
"People don't always think we have a certain kind of dogs or certain kind of things. We get all kinds of dogs, and all these dogs are great dogs, and they all deserve that second chance," he said. "If you want to come down and adopt a dog, we run a lot of reduced fee adoption events typically around the holidays. What we do during that time is we only charge $21. That's going to get you a dog that's spay or neutered, it's going to have a current license, it's going to be current on all of its vaccinations and most importantly, it's going to have a microchip in it."
The kennel has an Amazon wish list if you'd like to donate that way.
