AUSTIN, Texas — The Austin Animal Center (AAC) is once again asking for help from the Central Texas community.
On Wednesday morning, the shelter stated it has reached a crisis point, with kennels filled past the capacity limit.
The shelter should not house more than 272 dogs at once, but as of Wednesday, it had 299 medium/large-sized canines. As of Friday, that number had risen even more to 304 dogs.
Now, AAC is searching for potential fosters and adopters in an attempt to bring capacity back to normal and avoid the possibility of euthanasia.
"Our capacity limit takes into account doubling up dogs in the larger kennels, and half of our nonpublic building, which is typically used for quarantines, hospitalizations and other similar instances," Chief Animal Services Officer Don Bland said.
Overcrowding has prohibited emergency stays for the time being, as well, Bland said.
AAC has faced similar overcrowding issues in the past.
What to know before fostering/adopting
For those looking to rescue a new pet, the shelter is waiving all adoption fees. The shelter, located at 7201 Levander Loop, Building A, is open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Per AAC rules, adopters must be at least 18 years old and must provide a valid form of photo identification.
Individuals interested in fostering can head to the shelter for walk-in appointments between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. for the remainder of this week. The shelter noted each foster must keep a dog in their residence for at least two weeks.
Visit AAC's website to keep up with current intake capacities.