The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter and the city of Georgetown Animal Shelter are partnering to provide free adoptions until June 20.
Both animal shelters are over capacity with medium and large dogs and adult cats. A number of contributors are causing this crisis situation, some predictable and some not, Community Programs Coordinator for WCRAS April Peiffer said.
“[Both shelters are] sort of in crisis mode with the amount of animals we have,” Peiffer said.
Every year WCRAS receives hundreds of kittens during kitten season, which begins in late April to early May, Peiffer said.
The consistent rainstorms throughout May caused many dogs to run away from their homes, and they were taken in by the shelter. These factors coupled with fewer people looking to adopt or foster during the summertime is overwhelming the shelters.
Many residents said they are unable to afford taking care of their pets and are being forced to move, possibly due to the pandemic, said Shawn Gunnin, marketing coordinator for the city of Georgetown Animal Shelter.
“Some people have said they are back to work and no longer have the time to care for a pet they adopted last year when they were home more,” Gunnis said.
WCRAS can comfortably serve 100 dogs, but as of June 17 it has 138. The situation is different for their cats; the shelter can serve 150 cats, but kittens require more attention than the adult cats, Peiffer said.
“Kennel space isn’t necessarily the biggest concern,” Peiffer said. “For us it’s about making sure we are providing the level of care that the community has made very clear they want us to be providing. It’s more about lack of staffing and volunteer ability to care for them and we are understaffed.”
The Georgetown Animal Shelter has 29 total dog kennels, which have been full since May 29, Gunnis said. The shelter has seen a steady increase in cats, going from sheltering 28 cats May 1 to 100 cats June 18.
Adoptions through WCRAS are only free if individuals make an appointment before visiting WCRAS. Without an appointment there will be a $20 adoption fee. Appointments last for half an hour and must be made before 5:30 p.m. The normal $75 adoption fee applies to all other animals. For the city of Georgetown Animal Shelter, only a $5 fee applies to spayed and neutered dogs and cats to obtain a pet license.
To see a list of all adoptable pets visit http://wilcopets.org for WCRAS or http://pets.georgetown.org for the Georgetown Animal Shelter. Those interested in adopting can email [email protected] to schedule an appointment with WCRAS or [email protected] for an appointment with Georgetown Animal Shelter.
Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter
1855 SE Inner Loop, Georgetown
Open daily from noon to 6 p.m.
Georgetown Animal Shelter
110 WL Walden, Georgetown
Open Mon., Tue., Thu. and Fri. 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat.-Sun. noon-4 p.m.; closed Wed.
