JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Dogs and cats reproduce in the summer, and that means many Jacksonville shelters are bursting at the seams right now.
One of those is Animal Care and Protective Services, which just in the first eight days of July has already taken in nearly 400 animals.
The shelters need help from the public to prevent having to put the animals down.
Pet foster parent Jody Young said fostering is an excellent alternative to adopting.
"It prevents them from being euthanized, but it also opens up other cages for the other animals that are constantly coming in," Young said.
If you're not able to adopt or foster, there are other ways to help.
Donate to help local agencies provide medical care and spay and neuter surgeries for the thousands of animals in their care. Or hold supply drives, hosting an event to collect toys and treats for local animals to make their stay in a shelter as pleasant as possible.
Animal Care is currently using one of its visitation rooms where people come to meet and greet with the dogs and cats they're looking to possibly adopt as space to hold five kittens. That's because it's running out of room in the main facility where the cages are, so they're having to put the animals wherever they can find room.
Executive director Nikki Harris said the 10 percent of animals that are euthanized are typically sick or a community threat. She said the shelter needs the community's help to keep it going in the right direction.
"We have been at no-kill status as a community this entire year, so we're really proud of that and we think Jacksonville has a lot to be proud of, having kept that no-kill status, which means that 90 percent of the animals that come into a Jacksonville shelter leave alive," Harris said.
A mega pet adoption event is set for July 18-20 at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds. There's a $25 adoption fee, which includes spay/neuter, microchip, vaccines and city licenses.
There will be 1,000 adoptable pets to choose from. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.
Parking is free and adoptions are free for military members with an ID.