By Kari Paul
Courtesy Oakland Animal Companies
October is a month of dwindling daylight, altering leaves, and enjoyable fall traditions. It is usually Undertake a Shelter Canine Month: an occasion that might not be coming at a greater time for Oakland, California, the place metropolis shelters are dealing with an almost unprecedented disaster, working out of area and assets to look after an inflow of surrendered and stray canine.
Beneath, you’ll discover among the statistics that illustrate simply how a lot want there may be on this Bay Space metropolis — and how one can assist.
Practically 5,000 canine have entered Alameda County shelters in 2023 alone.
The eight shelters that settle for canine in Alameda County the place Oakland is situated have taken in 4,911 canine in 2023. Meaning the county ranks eighth within the state by way of quantity of canine taken on this yr, in accordance with Shelter Animals Rely.
219 canine who entered Alameda County shelters didn’t make it out this yr
Shelters in Alameda County have confronted a rise of stray and surrendered canine this yr, leaving them stretched skinny for assets and kennel areas, in some instances forcing them to make the heartbreaking determination to euthanize animals. In 2022, Alameda County shelters euthanized 403 canine and in 2021, 390 had been euthanized, in accordance with Shelter Animals Rely. The variety of canine euthanized every year underscores the necessity for fosters and adopters within the Bay Space, significantly for large-breed canine.
Highlight on Oakland Animal Companies
Whereas there are 10 shelters in Oakland that facilitate adoption — eight of which home canine — Oakland Animal Companies (OAS) is the one open-admission shelter within the space. “Open admission” means the company accepts all of Oakland’s homeless, injured, orphaned, undesirable, misplaced, deserted and mistreated animals, no matter age, breed, temperament, or medical situation. It additionally implies that OAS is persistently overwhelmed with animals in want of care.
Per its web site, OAS adopted out 1,161 canine in 2022. However as many within the animal rescue world know, the battle is neverending. As of October, Oakland Animal Companies as soon as once more is dealing with a “crucial state of affairs,” housing 105 canine in comparison with its most capability of 73. Meaning many of those pups are being held in tight quarters, resulting in extra stress for the animals and worse outcomes for potential adoptions.
How one can assist
Are you based mostly within the Bay Space and able to welcome certainly one of these pets into your own home? You could find your new furry buddy on Undertake A Pet now. Not able to commit long-term? Pet meals donations are all the time in demand, and native organizations are all the time searching for fosters. Cease by one of many Foster Open Home occasions at Oakland Animal Companies to search out the very best non permanent match for you. And who is aware of, possibly it will likely be a foster fail.
*These estimates are based mostly on knowledge from Shelter Animals Rely for 2023, by the month of September, besides the place specified.
Kari Paul is a author whose work has been printed within the Guardian, the Wall Avenue Journal, and New York Journal. She has had an infinite march of greater than 20 foster kittens, cats, and canine over the previous couple of years and all the time cries once they go away.
