MILWAUKEE — Many animal shelters in Wisconsin, and throughout the country are in crisis as they reach max capacity.
Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission (MADACC) said it saw a nearly 50% increase in intakes this past May, as compared to May of 2023.
Karen Sparapani, the executive director of MADACC, said she expects that number to get worse as the summer continues. In her 10 years leading the organization, she said she’s never seen her shelter so packed.
“I speak with leaders all across the country, my colleagues with big national organizations that specialize in animal control, and they are all seeing the same thing,” she said.
She said this comes as pet essentials like food and veterinary care are becoming too costly for households that are already financially strained.
Sparapani also said more people have started breeding dogs and selling puppies for fast cash. However, when the dogs grow up, many end up at MADACC or other shelters.
The increase in intake translates into extra work for employees and volunteers at MADACC.
Jazmyne Springfield, a veterinary technician at MADACC, said it’s hard to see so many animals sitting in kennels waiting for someone to adopt them.
“It’s very heartbreaking because a lot of them are very nice, very sweet. A lot of them just need a lot of love,” said Springfield, as she checked on a blind cat.
Unlike private shelters and humane societies, Sparapani said MADACC is run by Milwaukee County and does not choose the animals it takes in. It also tries not to turn any away.
“We are a public safety organization, and it is imperative that we have space for the animals out there that are stray, abandoned, injured, or seized because of crimes or owner catastrophe,” said Sparapani.
Despite being over capacity, Sparapani said MADACC won’t euthanize any animals. Instead, she and her team are making a push for more community donations, volunteers to come help at MADACC and people willing to foster animals until they can be adopted. They’ve also reduced adoption fees.
Currently, MADACC is offering some specials when it comes to fostering adoptable dogs. One of the programs involves fostering a dog for a weekend through MADACC Weekenders Club. Another involves fostering for five days, as a sort of test drive through MADACC Friends of MADACC Adoption Promotion.