LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville Metro Animal Servies said their shelter is at capacity. They currently have 357 dogs and cats staying in the shelter.

What You Need To Know

  • Louisville Metro Animal Servies said their shelter is at capacity with 357 dogs and cats

  • Samantha Hawkins, former employee and current volunteer, said Louisville has an overpopulation of dogs and cats

  • Hawkins said greater access to spaying and neutering would help reduce the number of strays

  • When the shelter is full, they may not be able to take owner surrendered pets

Samantha Hawkins has worked at the Louisville Metro Animal Shelter for 12 years and is now a volunteer.

"It's awesome to be around something that's just so excited to see you, you know, this dog's never met me before and is just so happy to be out of his kennel for a little bit and go for a walk. So, that's really nice to be able to do," said Hawkins.

She said the shelter has been at capacity for at least the last two years.

"We were pretty much empty during the pandemic and then once everybody kind of started going back to work, we saw more strays being turned in. We also saw a lot of people who lost their jobs during the pandemic, which I think has attributed to people not being able to afford care for their animals that they need," said Hawkins.

Hawkins said Louisville has a pet overpopulation and adoption alone cannot fix it. 

"If we could have better access for everybody to be able to get their pet spayed and neutered, I think that we would see a decrease in strays running loose," said Hawkins.

The shelter will take any stray from Jefferson County, no matter what the capacity is, but owner surrenders are a different story.

"With owner surrenders we go through managed intake. So, if we are filled up and it's not a public safety issue or a life threatening medical issue for the animal, we will have to tell them we can't take the animal right now and see if there's something we can give them to help," said Hawkins.

One way to help make room for those pets is fostering. She said it's a service that is rewarding for both the animals and the foster family. The shelter's shift lead has fostered many pets.

"You are opening a space at the shelter. You are showing that animal love that it might not have gotten before in its life. You are providing medical care and just a comfort for animals that don't have that right now at the shelter," said Jade Mclean, Louisville Metro Animal Services shift lead adoption coordinator. 

The shelter is offering perks for those looking to adopt.

"Anything that is 40 pounds and up, dog wise, the adoption fee is waived. We only have adoption fees on smaller dogs," said Hawkins.

You can visit the Louisville Metro Animal Shelter website to see the adoptable pets. 

At the beginning of this year, the shelter lost its no-kill status due to overcrowding. It was their first euthanization in five years.