The Pearl River County SPCA (PRCSPCA) is issuing an urgent call for help as overcrowding has reached crisis levels. Adult dogs remain in shelter care for far longer than usual, with some waiting more than 200 days for adoption, creating severe strains on available kennel space. The shelter, which aims to find homes for animals within 7-21 days, now faces an average stay of 52 days for adult dogs.

“This significant increase in the length of stay has created a bottleneck, leading to a crisis in our ability to provide appropriate kennel accommodations,” said Beth Treadway, director of PRCSPCA. “As a result, we’ve had to suspend the surrender of personally owned pets and require appointments for stray dogs. This is the only way to prevent euthanasia due to a lack of kennel space.”

To address this crisis, PRCSPCA calls on the community to help increase adoptions, specifically of large and adult dogs, by at least ten dogs per week. Each adoption will help relieve overcrowding and create space for new animals needing care. Additionally, the shelter is urgently seeking foster families, volunteers, and donations to help support their lifesaving work.

“When families choose to adopt or foster a large dog, they provide much-needed relief on our shelter’s capacity,” said Judy Wheaton, assistant director of PRCSPCA. “Fostering not only gives a pet a low-stress environment where their true personality can shine, helping them get adopted faster, but it also frees up shelter space for other needy pets. Fostering truly saves multiple lives.”

The shelter emphasizes the community’s vital role in resolving this crisis. It has launched an awareness campaign under the theme “Make Room for Love: Adopt, Foster, or Volunteer” to inspire individuals to get involved.

In addition to adoptions and fostering, PRCSPCA seeks volunteers to assist with tasks like transporting animals and providing daily care at the shelter. Donations are also crucial to ensure continued animal care during this challenging time.

PRCSPCA will hold special adoption events throughout the month and encourage anyone interested in fostering, adopting, or volunteering to contact the shelter directly.

For more information on how to get involved, visit www.prcspca.org or contact PRCSPCA at 601-798-8000.