Jacksonville — With its shelter at full capacity, Animal Care and Protective Services (ACPS) urgently needs dog adopters and fosters for medium and large sized dogs. Currently 346 dogs are in a shelter sized for 264 dog kennels. The ACPS is encouraging everyone to adopt or foster a dog while helping lost pets find their families as opposed to brnging them to a shelter.
Ways to help:
ADOPT – ACPS has more than 200 dogs available for adoption and ready to go home today. Adoptions are free. City license fees may apply.
FOSTER – Fostering medium or large size dogs - even for a few days - helps.
RECLAIM – Lost pets surrendered to ACPS remain at the shelter for at least 90 days. Sterilized reclaim fees are waived. City license fees may apply.
REUNITE – ACPS is urging those who find dogs to try and find their owners before bringing them to a shelter. More than 65% of dogs entering the shelter are lost pets. According to ACPS, dogs found and kept in their neighborhood are 85% more likely to get home and most are reunited within 24 hours of being found. After entering the shelter only about 20% are reunited with their owners.
Visit the ACPS shelter (2020 Forest St. – 32204) in person or visit www.coj.net/pets to view available pets. Adoptions occur Monday through Friday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
PetSmart on 8801 Southside Blvd., will hold a free adoption event on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. City license fees may apply. All pets will be spayed/neutered, microchipped, vaccinated.