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Detroit Animal Care faces urgent overcrowding problem
The shelter is over capacity - with almost 200 dogs when the capacity is less than 100 leaving the situation dire.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Overcrowding at Detroit Animal Care has left the dogs packed in at the shelter in a desperate situation.
Literally - time is up and the facility is so overcrowded - animals are being euthanized.
"They were saying hard decisions were being made and - I'm gonna cry because that just breaks my heart," said Sue Elliot.
Elliott already has a dog but saw on social media that the shelter was over capacity - almost 200 dogs when it is built for less than 100 - she went there to try to help.
"I'm really want to at least foster, and it they'll let me foster two I'll do two, and maybe adopt," she said.
Because the need for homes is urgent.
"We're finding ourselves making a real tough decision on a daily basis," said Crystal Perkins. "You know we try to go with the animals that are maybe more aggressive or have health issues before we just take the healthy loving dog but yes - there are times that we have to make that tough decision to euthanize."
Perkins is the director of the city's General Services Department - which oversees Detroit Animal Care - she says the situation - is dire.
"We're seeing an influx of dogs - we're calling them Covid dogs - people coming on hardship - just unable to care for them - or just don't have the time now that the world has opened back up," she said.
But the dogs are adorable, sweet - and they're not small - which sometimes can be intimidating. But the shelter offers adoptions, foster care, slumber parties - and you can even adopt a dog for a day - but they're hoping for permanent homes.
"We have 39 dogs that's ready to adopt right now," Perkins said. "We're fully vaccinating them - no fees to adopt - we are trying to give these dogs a loving home."
Perkins says their new shelter - with more space - should be open by the end of the year, but so many dogs need homes right now.
Like "crispy bacon" who thinks he's a lapdog - who loves to play and run.
So many of these animals are coming in as strays but once available - hopefully they'll find a family.
"They're really loving, right? They're a man's best friend, a girl's best friend," Perkins said.
Detroit Animal Care is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Find the shelter's Facebook page HERE to learn more about the dogs available.