A Texas shelter is pleading with the public to save 19 of its euthanasia list’s dogs, which have only until 5 p.m. Wednesday to find a home before being euthanized.
In a Monday video shared on TikTok under the username @rescuedogarmy, the Houston shelter says the pup featured in the clip, Paras, along with 18 others at the same facility, will be euthanized Wednesday if no one is willing to take them in.
“Paras #A625008 has until 5pm 09/11 at Harris County Shelter. 612 Canino in Houston,” the clip’s caption says. “In fact there are 19 dogs that only have until 5pm. If you are out of state please fill out the adoption euthanasia list dog form in the link in my bio, let’s go.”
This dog has only one day left to be adopted before getting euthanized because of a lack of space in a Houston shelter.
rescuedogarmy/TikTok
Apart from the 19 dogs that must be saved by Wednesday, another 20 will need to be saved by Friday to avoid euthanasia, Laura Brown, a volunteer who helps out at the Harris County Shelter, told Newsweek. The pups list can be found here.
“We are in desperate need of more rescues to help vet applications for potential adopters to see if they are able to help,” she said. “We have been losing so many dogs that have families wanting them and no rescues to help them.”
She went on: “Potential adopters for the dogs in my videos can fill out the application in my bio link on TikTok. Out of state adoption is possible if we have more rescues helping.”
Brown said that the @rescuedogarmy account is a networking and volunteer page and not the shelter itself.
“The volunteers get the videos and notes, and we network the dogs. We are not the shelter, and we are not making these decisions to euthanize. We are actually trying to get change on a bigger level to eliminate these lists altogether,” she said.
Kill shelters are animal shelters that accept all pets without restrictions, age limitations, health standards or behavioral requirements, according to Voices of Change Animal League (VOCAL), an animal rights charity.
But because of the constant influx of pets, these shelters often don’t have room for them all and end up euthanizing the animals based on their stay duration to make space for new animals coming in.
“And because there are no health standards, the shelter is often forced to euthanize pets in order to protect the health and safety of the general animal population,” VOCAL said.
Each year, 6.3 million pets enter U.S. shelters, which is an average of 17,260 a day, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The number of dogs and cats taken in by pet shelters hit 46,807 during January 2023, an increase of 1,744 compared with January 2022, 24Petwatch’s Shelter Watch Report found.
The most common reasons for dog surrenders include age, allergies, behavioral problems, cleanup, costs, moving, new pets and shedding, says Michigan’s Humane Society of Macomb.
Around 920,000 surrendered animals are euthanized every year. Shelters are striving to minimize euthanasia rates by promoting adoption campaigns, spaying and neutering programs and behavior rehabilitation.
The video has so far received over 1,035 views and 390 views on TikTok.
One user, Laurabelle, commented: “We need to save these dogs please help.”
Bre wrote: “Let’s find these babies a home!!!”
Karyn said: “Boosting and praying for this sweet baby to get the very best forever home soon!!”
Helen wrote: “Praying you get saved in time sweet baby.”
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