PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Blu Tailor was out Thursday looking to adopt a dog.
"But the dog we saw just got here, so we have to wait five days," she said. "But he was so cute, 3-month-old puppy."
Tailor adopted her first animal from a humane society in Michigan. She said that the facility was bursting at the seams, and now she's in Florida and the Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control is over capacity.
"I think it's just because of economic issues and stuff like that, it just depends on what's going on," she said.
A difficult reality facing so many pet shelters, inflation has more people surrendering animals.
"So, this was an owner surrender somebody brought it in, it is 12 weeks old, it's a spayed little female," said Jan Steele, the director of Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control.
Each day the shelter tries to be below capacity, while handling an influx of animals.
Steele said at the moment "below capacity" is not possible.
"Our maximum for cats is 130, our maximum for dogs is 144," she said. "We're currently over 190 cats and over 190 dogs."
Steele said typically other shelters would help out but but those facilities are dealing with an increase in animals due to Hurricane Ian.
"Then the local folks here that economically they are getting crushed. They don't have enough money to stay where they're at and having to downsize or their landlord is saying no we're going to raise the rent if you stay here," she said. "The animals unfortunately, even though they're part of the family, have to be given up."
Steele estimates that instead of five to six animals on most days, 15 to 20 pets are being surrendered.
Those interested in adopting, becoming a foster parent or volunteering, click here.
