Due to impacts of Hurricane Irma, Marion County Animal Services is partnering with Alachua County Animal Services and the Alachua County Humane Society to transfer Marion’s adoptable cats and dogs to other adoption agencies.
Marion County Animal Services is nearly at capacity, due to extended stray-hold times during the storm and fewer adoptions as our county’s human population works through the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. Opening kennels by transferring adoptable animals ensures the department can accept local animals displaced due to the storm as well as continue mandated functions such as housing animals part of dangerous dog and cruelty investigations.
For several days, residents will see fewer animals available for adoption at Animal Services, but can rest assured that the transferees’ destination is an adoption agency that will find them a forever family. In addition, Animal Services is currently encouraging residents looking to surrender their pets to find alternatives or delay it at this time as they work to ensure kennel space for new intakes.
Marion County Animal Services’ dogs have transferred to Alachua County Animal Services and the Alachua County Humane Society. Last week, Alachua County transferred its dogs to other agencies in the country through a partnership with the Humane Society of the United States. The Alachua agencies will either adopt out the dogs or place them with other organizations. Marion County is also exploring options to transfer cats, potentially through a similar partnership with the HSUS.
Marion County Animal Services provides the county’s only open-admission shelter. The department accepts any Marion animal that comes to its doors, regardless of breed, temperament, health or how desirable that animal might be to some people. The center receives animals that were abused and abandoned, strays brought in by residents or animal control officers, and pets surrendered by their owners because they couldn’t or didn’t want to care for them.