In Jacksonville and across the country, animal shelters have been full for months on end — frequently overcapacity — and begging for adoptions, foster families and donations.
The situation stems from a "perfect storm" of factors — some unexpected, such as ongoing staff and volunteer shortages and public-access limitations tied to the COVID-19 pandemic, and others expected, such as summer vacations that lead to decreased adoptions and the annual kitten season that brings a deluge of young cats.
Actual admission data doesn't tell the whole story: Based on intake numbers so far in 2022, the numbers of dogs and cats taken in at local shelters over the course of the year may be lower than 2021. But many of the animals are staying far longer than they would have in earlier years.
Read the rest of this story at WJCT News partner The Florida Times-Union.