Cincinnati Animal CARE Faces Capacity Crisis After 100 Dog Intakes
Welfare officers seized 38 canines in two properties this week, forcing the shelter to house animals in temporary crates.
By Priya Marino ·
Cincinnati Animal CARE has taken in more than 100 dogs in the last seven days, pushing the facility to critical capacity. The surge in intakes has forced staff to use pop-up crates to house the animals due to a lack of available space.
The shelter is currently holding a large number of dogs seized during active animal welfare investigations. Of the dogs admitted this week, 38 were removed from properties by humane agents and dog wardens. These animals are often held for weeks, creating a backlog that differs from the usual intake of stray dogs.
The volume of seizures has overwhelmed normal operations. On Tuesday, officers removed 14 dogs from a single location. The following day, they took 10 dogs from a different property. Meg Jordan, the foster manager at Cincinnati Animal CARE, noted that while she has worked there for many years, she has rarely seen such large groups arrive in such a short timeframe.
Jordan described the recent daily arrivals of 12 to 14 dogs as a new and unexpected challenge. October is already a historically busy month for the shelter, but the current weekly total has intensified the need for fosters and adopters. The facility aims to make room for every animal, even when groups arrive simultaneously.
"We are definitely at critical capacity and in desperate need," Jordan said. She explained that field services are picking up groups of dogs and assisting owners with large numbers of animals. While the shelter wants to help these individuals, the situation creates a difficult environment on-site.
Space constraints are affecting the dogs' daily lives. Some animals are living in pop-up crates, a setup Jordan said is not conducive to their well-being. Most of the seized dogs remain on hold for up to several weeks, leaving staff with limited options for moving them out of the building.
The shelter is asking the community to step in through fostering, adoption, or donations. With the holiday season approaching, Jordan emphasized that any assistance will make a difference. The organization remains committed to helping every dog that enters its doors, even when the intake rate spikes.
