Shelby County Humane Society storing dozens of dogs outside, looking for fosters before freeze hits

SHELBY COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC) - More than 30 dogs are stuck outside in the cold as the Shelby County Humane Society works to make more room in the already packed shelter.

The shelter has room for about 150 dogs, but right now they have more than 300. 30 to 40 of them are being stored in outdoor kennels, but with the cold weather coming, crews are working quickly to find more blankets and foster homes.

“It’s freezing and they are just so cold,” Shelby County Humane Society’s Haley Neal said. “Just taking one, that could save a life.”

Blankets are draped over the outdoor kennels at the humane society, but they won’t do much when the arctic freeze hits later this week.

“They just need a warm place to stay even for a little while,” Neal said. “It is definitely fatal to the dogs, in the past we have had dogs pass away because it is so cold.”

They are asking for fosters, but you don’t have to keep the dogs for months at a time. Neal said just some help through the cold season could make a big difference for the shelter.

“We can give food, the crates, puppy pads, anything they need,” Neal said.

That’s what humane society volunteer Athena Martinez and her husband did.

“My husband asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I said to foster some dogs,” Martinez said. “We took our cars out of the garage, cleaned it up, and put four kennels out there, so we can house four. It’s just one dog, in one garage, that’s all they need.”

Neal said foster families will help right now, but they also still need families to adopt, that way they can have more room in the shelter, even after the arctic blast.

“If they foster and adopt from the inside, they are able to move the ones from the outside back inside,” Martinez said.

The shelter said they are taking in tarps and blankets, or anything to help make crates warmer.

If you are looking to adopt or foster, just head to the shelter and they will work to pair you with a good fit, depending on if you have other animals or kids.

Click here to learn more about the Shelby County Humane Society.

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