ORLANDO, Fla. — Orange County Animal Services says it has lent a hand and added a couple of hundred additional paws.

The animal shelter says it has taken in 58 cats and eight dogs from Clay County after a statewide appeal for help from that county's animal shelter, which days ago announced that it temporarily closed to the public because of a spike in COVID-19 cases and a staffing shortage. Clay County Animal Services also said it would accept no owner surrenders or stray drop-offs until further notice.

“This is the mission,” Orange County Animal Services declared Wednesday on its Facebook page. “We are here to help these animals, and we know our community feels the same way. We look forward to Central Florida residents coming in to adopt in the days to come.”

The social media announcement said agency staff members drove to Clay County, southwest of Jacksonville, “to lend a hand, and took as many adoptable animals as we could, with the majority of them being young kittens.”

Kristin Tsukamoto, program manager of communications for Orange County Animal Services, told Spectrum News 13 in an email Wednesday that the shelter found itself “in the fortunate position to have space for dozens more adoptable cats” and also made room for the eight dogs.

About Clay County, Tsukamoto said: “We know this will be a help to them as they get through this challenging period, and we hope our Central Florida residents will help us by coming forward to adopt these pets."

Orange County Animal Services touts a noon to 8 p.m. Sunday "adopt-a-thon," in which it will offer $10 adoptions.