St. Louis County Animal Shelter Waives Adoption Fees as Facility Reaches Capacity

Dr. Kanika Cunningham, St. Louis County’s Director of Public Health, noted the shelter's pressing situation, stating, "We are way over capacity. You’ll see we have dogs in pop-up kennels in the hallways. That’s just not humane living." She explained that the shelter needs to reduce its numbers to 80 animals for proper care.

As a government facility, the shelter cannot turn away any animals, remaining open 24/7 to accept all that come in. Cunningham expressed concern for the wellbeing of the animals, stating, "When they’re sitting here, the longer they do stay, they do decline. A shelter is just not a place for a dog or cat to just be healthy and thrive and survive."

Community members like Anastacia Moore are stepping up to help; she has begun fostering a dog named Oatmeal. "I’m taking home Oatmeal... She’s super sweet. Oh my goodness. As soon as she came in the room, she came and just laid her head on me. She’s like a big old lap dog," Moore said.

The shelter is urging the public to adopt, foster, or volunteer to aid in the situation. "Do anything you can. Adopt. There are so many dogs here. They need somebody to care about them," Moore added.