Animal Care and Protective Services (ACPS) has reported numerous times over the last several months that the shelter has been experiencing overcrowding that exceeds their capacity for care. Many animal shelters nationwide are struggling with increasing in-shelter animal populations and ACPS is no exception. Recently, a State of Emergency was declared for all South Carolina Shelters due to overcrowding.

Despite several successful adoption events, and initiating an appointment-based intake system last month, the number of animals continues to exceed a volume that can be adequately cared for with current staffing and resources. For the sake of our animals as well as our staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to care for the segment of the pet population, we find it necessary to institute emergency measures that will place limitations on dogs entering the shelter to include those that pose a risk to public safety, sick or injured strays, and abuse, neglect, or cruelty cases. Currently scheduled intake appointments will be processed at their pre-arranged date and time. Each request for admission will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

This temporary limitation to intake will be evaluated weekly and will remain in place until the shelter population is better aligned with the staff and volunteer capacity for care. During this time Animal Care and Protective Services’ staff will be focusing on the daily care and placement of the more than 300 dogs currently residing in the shelter. The adoption center will remain open 7 days a week. Adoption fees and sterilized reclaim fees will continue to be waived. ACPS will be out in the community for mobile adoptions every weekend during the month of October.

Animal Code Enforcement Officers will continue to provide field services to ensure the safety of people and pets in our community. Concerns with animals in the community can be reported online at myjax.custhelp.com or by calling 904-630-CITY.

• Walk the neighborhood. Talk to community members to see if they recognize the pet.
• Look for flyers and signs for lost pets.
• Post found pet flyers and signs in the area where the pet was found.
• Use the power of social media and the internet! Post the pets on Nextdoor, Facebook, and Petco Love Lost.
• Have the pet scanned for a microchip at a nearby veterinarian office.
• Contact ACPS and the Jacksonville Humane Society to check lost pet reports or report a pet as found.