'We need a little help:' Georgetown animal shelter passes capacity, turning away some dogs
GEORGETOWN, S.C. (WPDE) — Shelters across the Palmetto state are struggling to find dog's forever homes, causing them to pass their capacity.
St. Francis Animal Care Center in Georgetown has resorted to only accepting dogs that animal control brings to them. They’ve had to turn away owner-surrendered dogs.
The shelter has over 100 dogs and inflation and living complexes not accepting pets have led to an influx of dogs at the shelter.
A number of factors have really made it difficult for people to retain their pets. And unfortunately, they have been coming in droves and we are over capacity right now and we need a little help,” said Suzanne Roman, executive director of St. Francis Animal Care Center.
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St. Francis has had to turn away owners surrendering their dog but offered to help the owners by giving them dog food or medical assistance until there's space for the dog to be taken in.
"We will even say to the person ‘hey if we give you food or whatever medical care it is, could you keep this pet in your home until we have space for it?’ What we also try to do is give them a list of rescues in the area, other shelters, but unfortunately, now almost everybody in our area is full,” Roman said.
Between the costs of taking care of all the animals and making sure the staff is paid, the shelter is also exceeding its annual budget of $1.1 million.
"We are running over budget, unfortunately. Especially with staff overtime, because there are so many animals they need to be cared for. You can’t say ‘oh, it’s 5 o’clock I’m going home," Roman said.
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St. Francis along with many other shelters in South Carolina are participating in a statewide adoption event called Pick Me! SC.
People can adopt an animal for free, however, the typical adoption process will apply. The shelter is hoping to reach its goal of 50 adoptions by July 17. They are currently at 20.
If you are interested in adopting a pet or learning how to get involved, visit their website here.
