Due to the outpouring of community support and swift action of staff at Front Street Animal Shelter, 43 dogs were moved from kennels to loving, temporary foster homes in just three hours.
Dogs at Front Street Animal Shelter needed to be moved into temporary homes in response to a dog testing positive for the dangerous strep zoo bacteria and kennel crowding. After a thorough assessment by the UC Davis Shelter Medicine Program, it was determined that the best course of action was to get the shelter as empty as possible.
After a plea for help on social media last Sunday, the community showed up in a big way – a line of cars stretched nearly a quarter mile down Front Street.
“We are extremely grateful to our community members for saving the day and making this much-needed space,” said Ryan Hinderman, communications manager at the shelter.
The shelter is still in need of foster homes and will be sending more dogs out this week to further reduce the population. Anyone able to take a dog can sign up at HelpFrontStreet.org.
“This could have been much worse, and really highlights the need to keep our shelter population within our capacity for care,” said Phillip Zimmerman, Front Street Shelter manager. “One of the best ways to do this is for finders of lost pets to take a proactive role in finding the owner, rather than the default being to bring them to crowded shelters. Both the animals, owners and the shelter, benefit.”