‘It’s a crisis for us right now’: Humane Society at capacity, blames pandemic as it turns away animals

TAMPA, Fla. - The Humane Society of Tampa Bay says it is doubling up dogs in kennels and turning cats away because the shelter is completely full.

"Right now we’re experiencing a lot of people turning in their pets, a lot of strays, twice the number of stray dogs that we have ever seen," explained Sherry Silk, the CEO of the Humane Society of Tampa Bay.

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Silk says the shelter is in this dire situation because of the pandemic.

"What I feel is the reason is, during COVID, so for the last year and a half, a lot of hospitals, veterinary hospitals, chose to stop doing spay and neuter and stopped seeing clients. We did not. Our hospital kept doing it, but if you don’t spay and neuter, especially cats, they multiply. So I believe it’s a direct result of the pandemic," Silk stated.

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Silk says this serves as a reminder that it is not just important to spay and neuter dogs and cats, but to also get them microchipped.

The shelter is giving away free microchips throughout December.

LINK: For more information on the Humane Society and how to adopt an animal, visit https://humanesocietytampa.org/.

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