Almost 50 puppies and small dogs from Texas will be available for adoption at this Saturday's Puppypalooza at Cincinnati Animal CARE's shelter in Northside. Puppypalooza takes place noon-6 p.m. Aug. 28.
The local animal welfare group took in 46 dogs after the Texas shelter was about to have to start euthanizing animals for space.
The dogs have been in medical isolation for three weeks in order to make sure they were all healthy and ready for adoption.
“It has been a busy summer at Cincinnati Animal CARE,” said Jessica Grimes, the nonprofit's Outcomes Manager. “The story of these Texas dogs touched a lot of hearts and we’re excited for Cincinnati to come meet them and the many other amazing, adoptable dogs here at the shelter.”
During Puppypalooza, potential adopters can come visit the dogs from Texas, as well as the more than 200 dogs and cats currently available for adoption at the shelter. All dogs who are over 6 months old and 30 pounds will cost $20, plus a Hamilton County licensing fee. Reduced dog adoption fees will be valid from noon Aug. 27 through 6 p.m. Aug. 29.
Cincinnati Animal CARE says this weekend will also be the first time they are opening the shelter's kennels for walkthroughs.
"While we believe that the matchmaking process is the best thing for our community and our animals, for one weekend only, we will be opening the kennels to the public. For any family unable to find what they're looking for with our Outcomes team, they can be escorted through the kennels in search of a match," reads a release.
Cincinnati Animal CARE has been at "code red" since June. Committed to being no-kill and, for the welfare of the animals, housing only one dog per kennel, it considers the shelter at "code red" when there are 10 empty kennels or fewer.
"The code red level is the worst it's ever been. As of yesterday, the count was -26 open kennels, with every emergency kennel being used, every office being used, and pop-up crates being used throughout the facility wherever there is air conditioning," Ray Anderson, Cincinnati Animal CARE's media and community relations manager, told CityBeat this week. "We've taken in 209 animals in the last 10 days, which is essentially our entire in-shelter capacity for dogs and cats."
To help reduce shelter intake, Cincinnati Animal CARE also just launched Home To Home, a site for dogs, cats and other animals where owners can fill out an online form with the animal's information and a photo, and those searching for a new pet can browse bios. There are no rehoming fees, and current owners can directly communicate with potential new pet parents to find a best fit.
Cincinnati Animal CARE is located at 3949 Colerain Ave., Northside. For more info or to browse adoptable animals, visit cincinnatianimalcare.org.
