Hamilton County's only open-intake animal shelter has run out of kennel space for dogs, and it needs help from residents across the county, including in Hyde Park, Oakley and Mount Lookout.
Cincinnati Animal CARE reported 536 dogs in its care as of Oct. 14, including 321 housed on-site. Staff had resorted to placing animals in temporary pop-up crates, pens and garage areas because every proper kennel was full, according to a shelter announcement that day.
The count surpassed the shelter's June CODE RED emergency, when 459 dogs were in care and 285 were on-site.
"We have exhausted our available kennel space, but the animals needing our help aren't going to stop coming in," shelter director Meaghan Colville said in the Oct. 14 announcement. "We have wonderful, adoptable dogs waiting for homes, and every adoption or foster placement creates desperately needed space for another animal."
By late October, conditions had not improved. In an announcement dated Oct. 20, the shelter said it was still caring for 1,070 animals, with more than 300 dogs on-site. Colville said the number of animals arriving continued to outpace the number leaving for homes.
The shelter had contacted more than 200 rescue organizations and partner shelters seeking placement help.
The overcrowding fits a statewide pattern. Ohio animal rescues are seeing more owners surrender pets they can no longer afford, The Ohio Newsroom reported Oct. 20. In the Midwest, shelter stays for dogs this year ran more than two weeks longer than in 2019, according to data from Shelter Animals Count cited in that report.
Gregory Willey, president of the Ohio Animal Welfare Federation, told The Ohio Newsroom the state is "backsliding."
Cincinnati Animal CARE, which has maintained a save rate above 90% since taking over operations in August 2020, said it does not euthanize animals for space.
Residents who want to help have several options. Same-day adoptions are available at both shelter locations with no pre-application required. Short-term foster families can email [email protected]. Volunteers can sign up at cincinnatianimalcare.org.
Both locations are open daily from 1 to 6 p.m. A $19.75 Hamilton County dog license fee applies to dog adoptions.
