Overcrowding at the Hillsborough Pet Resource Center continues – Tampa Beacon

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Cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 77F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
Updated: August 11, 2022 @ 10:51 am
The Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center placed more than 230 cats and dogs with new families during an adoption event in late July, but the shelter remains overcrowded.
The Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center placed more than 230 cats and dogs with new families during an adoption event in late July, but the shelter remains overcrowded.

The Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center placed more than 230 cats and dogs with new families during an adoption event in late July, but the shelter remains overcrowded.
The Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center placed more than 230 cats and dogs with new families during an adoption event in late July, but the shelter remains overcrowded.
TAMPA — It’s common for populations to increase during the summer months at the Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center, but this year has been anything but standard.
Despite operating multiple successful adoption events, the shelter at 440 N. Falkenburg Road remains well beyond capacity for keeping its cats and dogs, said volunteer shelter coordinator Chelsea Waldeck. During a two-day event in late July the shelter took part in the Best Friends National Adoption Weekend and placed more than 230 animals.
“It definitely helped make a dent in our population,” said Waldeck, who is also a board member of the Hillsborough County Pet Resources Foundation, Inc. “Unfortunately, it has since refilled. Cats are starting to go back down, which is nice, but our dog population is starting to increase.”
Speaking on the phone Aug. 3, Waldeck said the Pet Resource Center is housing about 266 dogs and 220 cats. That puts the shelter at about 150% capacity for dogs and about 390% for cats.
Overcrowding at the shelter began occurring prior to this summer, as well, Waldeck said. Fewer animals came in during the COVID-19 pandemic but that trend changed course. 
“We’re definitely back at pre-COVID numbers now,” she said, adding that many facilities spaying and neutering animals had to halt or decrease operations, potentially impacting today’s overpopulation figures.
The shelter continues hosting periodic special events and year-round programs to help reduce numbers. On Saturday, Aug. 6, the Find a Study Buddy adoption event was geared toward back-to-school activities and the shelter offered school supplies for children. Similar to most events, adoption fees were waived as well.
The Pet Resource Center is also participating in the national Clear the Shelters campaign throughout August, including a special event Aug. 27, Waldeck said.
Although most animals that end up at the shelter are brought in as strays, many are surrendered by owners who can no longer care for them. The pet retention program helps combat those situations, whether owners can’t afford food or medical bills or are having behavioral issues with the animal. 
“If the animal ends up coming to us, we’re going to have to cover those costs anyway,” Waldeck said. “So, we’d much rather see what we can do to keep families together.”
The Pet Resource Center is the only open-admission shelter in Hillsborough County and its adoption hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Saturday. More information on the Pet Resource Center can be found by searching for it on the www.HillsboroughCounty.org website or by following the shelter on Facebook.
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