On Thursday, a line had formed outside the shelter’s North Philadelphia headquarters. Hot dogs, spray cheese, and pill pockets are also welcome, to help dogs take their medication.Īs shelter staff and volunteers prepare for Monday’s modified “clean break,” the virus outbreak serves as an unwelcome prelude to the summer season, typically the busiest for animal rescues.ĭogs, meanwhile, continue to arrive at ACCT Philly daily. Currently, ACCT seeks donations of chest freezers for enrichment storage and two mini refrigerators for vaccines. Between the Hunting Avenue shelter and foster homes, ACCT currently has more than 130 dogs and 93 cats available for adoption.įor those unable to foster or adopt, advocates say there is always a need for volunteers and donations, whether monetary or otherwise. Through February of this year, ACCT took 1,953 dogs and cats into its care.Īs of writing, nine dogs and one cat are timestamped for euthanasia at ACCT. Through 2022, 14,939 animals entered the shelter, with a survival rate of 87%, a few percentage points shy of the 90% benchmark that meets national “no-kill” standards. The outbreak comes at a time when more animals, particularly large dogs, are sitting in the shelter or in foster care for longer periods of time.Īt ACCT, that means more animals are being timestamped for euthanasia due to space limitations, as opposed to untreatable health or behavioral concerns. Since then, the numbers have returned to pre-pandemic levels. Adopters will also receive a free bag of dog food, a free vet exam, a voucher for $250 of vet services, an offer for discounted pet insurance, and virtual dog training.īefore the dog flu reared its head, ACCT Philly was among many animal rescues contending with a shortage of adopters and fosters.Īt the onset of the pandemic, when COVID-19 prompted citywide lockdowns, adoptions and fosters saw a welcome boost. Dogs are fully vaccinated, microchipped, and spayed/neutered. Fosters will be supplied with a dog crate, harness, leash, and food.įrom Thursday, April 20, through Sunday, April 23, adoption fees at ACCT will be waived for dogs over 40 pounds. As an incentive, the shelter is offering $400 gift cards to fosters at the end of that time period. Now battling dueling respiratory viruses, ACCT urgently seeks dog-free foster homes that can host a large dog for a month. The decision was made in consultation with national disease control experts, including the University of Florida’s shelter medicine disease expert, the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement, and the University of Penn Shelter Medicine program.Ī surge in upper respiratory infections in May 2022 and a pneumovirus outbreak in June 2019 led to similar partial shutdown measures.ĭoodle, a 2-year-old dog available for adoption at ACCT Philly, is considered urgent and at risk of euthanasia due to length of stay and lack of space for incoming dogs. WHYY thanks our sponsors - become a WHYY sponsor
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