PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh is bursting at the seams with dogs and is in urgent need of fosters and adopters right now.
The number of canines they’re caring for has reached full capacity and they can’t accept anymore. This comes at a terrible time with the extreme cold and as shelters and rescues around the country are overcrowded.
“We are currently at 114 dogs. It’s a lot of dogs!” said Dan Cody, who was recently named as HARP’s acting executive director.
Cody said they’re doing everything they can to find homes for all of the dogs at their North Side and East Side shelters.
“But the reality is that we are at capacity, which means we can’t take more dogs in right now. And we have to do everything we can for the animals that are already in our care,” Cody said.
Their cat rooms are busy too with 101 felines, but they have room for more cats right now.
While dog admissions are closed, HARP is required to save a few kennels for city animal control cases.
“And as you can imagine in the cold weather like this, the frigid cold, you tend to get a few extra cases,” Cody said.
Cody said it’s very unusual for them to reach capacity in the winter. He said their current return rate is only 4 percent. So it’s not because of animals being brought back.
“It’s not returns. It’s animals that are just stray on the street and that are coming in through animal care and control. So, there are things that just happen, and our population of animals continues to rise in general…You can foster, you can adopt, but you can also make sure that if you do have an animal, that it’s spayed or neutered so that we can ensure that those populations aren’t increasing even more,” Cody said.
To free up kennels for more pups, HARP is urgently seeking fosters.
“That really expands our availability of places where those animals can be and thrive until they find that forever home,” said Cody.
The shelter also really needs adopters to give dogs a second chance.
“Adoptions are absolutely the most critical thing that you could do right now. Providing that home for an animal,” he said.
Volunteering and donating also help HARP provide more resources to keep their four-legged residents safe and warm.
Anyone in an urgent situation with an animal needing help should reach out to HARP’s pet helpline at 412-345-0348 or email at pethelpline@HumaneAnimalRescue.org.
Cody said if you call the hotline, you’ll need to leave a message. They’ll be monitoring the line closely.
“We will do our best to provide every possible resource for you. There are other shelters, and we can give you that contact information. And if it is an absolute emergency, we’ll figure something out,” he said.
You can look at the adoptable animals, apply to adopt, fill out a foster application, donate, or learn how to volunteer on HARP’s website.
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