San Diego Humane Society seeks urgent foster help amid overcrowding

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — In an effort to address overcrowding at its facility, the San Diego Humane Society is waiving adoption fees through December 1st. It is also putting out a call for volunteers willing to serve as foster families.

“We’ve been over capacity with dogs for more than a year now and this is unprecedented. We’ve never seen anything like this before,” SDHS spokesperson Nina Thompson told ABC 10News at an adoption event on Sunday.

Thompson said that there are currently around 700 dogs in their care, about 150% of its capacity, with 400 available for adoption. She also emphasized the urgent need for foster families.

“We provide all the resources. You provide the home, the love, and the time.” Fostering is a great way to help, because it not only alleviates overcrowding but also prepares dogs for adoption, improving their chances of finding permanent homes rather than remaining in the stressful shelter environment, Thompson said.

SDHS has successfully brought an outbreak of the disease known as strep zoo under control, ensuring that all dogs available for adoption are now cleared. “Luckily, we were able to identify that disease and treat all of the dogs that are in our care with antibiotics. We’ve been deep cleaning for weeks now,” she said.

Strep zoo is different from the “mystery illness” which has been sweeping through shelters around the country. Thompson said the latter has not been found in San Diego, but it is putting more pressure on them to find homes for the dogs more quickly.

“We still need more help because as many dogs as we adopt out, more come into our care,” Thompson said.

“I saw that they were over 100% capacity and I was like, ‘I’ve got to go visit, I got to see what I can do.’ I even donated, as well, but I felt like that wasn’t enough. I needed to get one out of here,” said Maisia Ilana, a woman who went through the adoption process Sunday. She left with a Siberian Husky named Maya.

Ilano encouraged San Diegans to do their research, and, if able, make the commitment to help. “Dogs are great companions. They love you more than anything. So I think more San Diegans should definitely adopt,” she said.

If you’re interested in adopting or fostering a furry friend, visit their page here for more information on the adoption process, available animals, and how you can contribute to the well-being of these lovable companions.