SAN DIEGO — Every year, hundreds of animals go missing during the Independence Day holiday. With animal shelters over capacity, the Humane Society is asking the community for their help.
Dogs are being kept in unusual spaces throughout their campuses. A warehouse where staff normally store supplies and other items is now occupied by rows of makeshift emergency housing that were put in place to care for the volume of animals.
“It really is sad to see all these stray pets coming in. Each of those animals is an individual they all deserve a second chance and a lot of love," said Jordan Frey with the San Diego Humane Society.
The shelters have been over capacity for several months. Currently, the San Diego Humane Society has over 2,500 animals in its care. That includes over 1,800 adoptable pets among all their campuses.
Frey says most of the animals are coming in as strays.
“The best thing people can do is, you know, if you’re taking your dog out, make sure they’re on a leash at all times. Especially right now, fireworks are going off at all times of the day”
Frey says the July Fourth holiday tends to be one of the busiest and most hectic time periods for shelters because of the fireworks.
In 2022, between July 4 and 7, the humane society took in 275 stray pets. Only 16% were reclaimed by owners.
“We really encourage people to make sure, especially right now, that their microchip info is up to date. If your pet does go missing, we can contact you," she added.
To help ease your pet and make shelter space available, the humane society highly encourages pet owners to make sure your pet is microchipped.
Make sure their collars have the most current contact info. You can write your phone number on the collar itself in case the tag falls off.
Make sure you provide a safe and comfortable at-home environment. If you plan on being out to celebrate, leave your dogs at home.
“They’re going to be so much happier and healthier if they stay home with you," added Frey.
For more information or tips to help keep your pet safe, click here.
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