COLUMBUS – The Franklin County Dog Shelter and Adoption Center is holding another Holiday Sleepover event, just as animal shelters around the nation report they overcrowded and bursting at the seams.
The number of animals entering shelters began to climb in 2021, after a pandemic-related dip.
With nearly 200 dogs and puppies currently in need of a home, participants can meet a new friend — or family member – Wednesday and Thursday at the shelter offices on Tamarack Boulevard.
“Our Sleepover program is designed with the belief that no one, two or four legs, should ever have to spend the Holidays alone and is an excellent opportunity for those who are interested in either adopting or fostering,” community relations coordinator Erin Hamill said.
Participants will have the opportunity to adopt or extend the sleepover through the New Year. The shelter will provide all the supplies and all adoption fees will be waived for anyone who adopts one of the dogs.
Adoptions haven’t kept pace with the number of animals coming in, due largely to higher pet care costs and housing issues so operators are in crisis mode as they try to reduce the kennel crush. Shelters and advocacy groups are trying to attack the problem at both ends — by reducing intakes and encouraging more adoptions.
Shelter Animals Count, a national database of shelter statistics, estimates that the shelter population grew by nearly a quarter-million animals in 2023.
The issue is sometimes blamed on owners abandoning “pandemic puppies” purchased during the COVID-19 lockdowns. But advocates and operators say the evidence actually points to economic factors such as higher pet care costs and housing insecurity.
The number of animals surrendered to the Cleveland Animal Protective League due to housing or financial challenges jumped by 56% this year to 388. That includes people who can’t afford the care, have a conflict with their landlord, are moving or have no home. The number of stray cats and kittens brought in by good Samaritans also has increased significantly.