ACCT Philly dealing with severe overcrowding, in need of short-term fosters

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Kennels are filling up and ACCT Philly is in dire need of short or long-term fosters as it tries to navigate severe overcrowding.

ACCT Philly says in the first quarter of this year, their population was up 30 percent from 2023 when it took in an extra 1,000 dogs. This week they are sounding the alarm as the volume and speed in which the dogs coming in is shocking.

"On Wednesday we had staff holding onto dogs. We were Instacarting dog crates because we had no place for these dogs to sit," Sarah Barnett Executive Director of ACCT Philly said.

ACCT Philly said it has over 130 dogs in the building and need to reduce that number to around 100.

Sarah Barnett said staffers are having to make very difficult euthanasia decisions. And if they had more time, those dogs being brought in would find a home.

The shelter is can't provide that time because there are other dogs they're obligated to take in.

Barnett says housing insecurity and financial constraints like inflation are the main reasons behind the drop-offs.

The shelter said even if you can't adopt a dog, they always need more volunteers, foster families to temporarily house the dogs, or monetary donations.