Austin Animal Center, the municipal shelter for the City of Austin and unincorporated Travis County, is asking for help finding fosters and adopters due to overcrowding.

“We have been struggling with capacity for over a year, and with the recent restriction on housing dogs in crates in order to comply with state regulations, we have reached a crisis point,” said Don Bland, Chief Animal Services Officer. “Our goal is to get as many medium/large dogs as possible into foster and adoptive homes in order to avoid issuing euthanasia notices.”

As of 9 a.m. Wednesday morning, AAC was housing 299 medium/large dogs, well over the capacity limit of 272.

“Our capacity limit takes into account doubling up dogs in the larger kennels, and half of our nonpublic building that should really be used for court cases, quarantines, owner incarcerations and hospitalizations, etc,” said Bland. “Currently we have zero open kennels for any incoming dogs, including emergencies. We just received notification that 12 dogs from a cruelty case are on their way and we need space for them.”

All adoption fees are waived and AAC is open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Staff will be available to process walk-in fosters from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day this week. Fosters are asked to keep medium/large dogs for a minimum of 2 weeks.

Austin Animal Center (AAC) is also offering a monetary incentive to rescue partners who can pull medium/large dogs into their programs. Interested rescues can email animal.rescue@austintexas.gov.