AKRON, Ohio — Much like animal shelters across the country, facilities in Northeast Ohio have been dealing with overcrowding since the pandemic. In Summit County, a lack of shelter space puts a strain on rescues and resources.
"We can house up to 67 dogs, right now we have 62 and we've been as high as 70 since we've been here so yes we fluctuate at near full capacity on a daily basis," said Nick Browning, President and CEO at the Humane Society of Summit County.
Already close to capacity and with the mission to take in sick or injured animals, the Humane Society is busy with dogs and cats who are being rehabilitated for a better life.
That leaves the other county facility, Summit County Animal Control, to take in all the healthy, abandoned animals. At Summit County Animal Control, they're taking in as many dogs as they can, but things are pretty packed.
"The City of Akron dog wardens they go out, but there's nowhere to take them. Animal control is full, the Humane Society is full, and all the local rescues are full," said Laura Lawson, Founder of Rubber City Rescue.
Lawson and Rubber City Rescue partner Jason Johnson get calls around the clock to rescue strays.
"We get called by every police department, citizens, 311, the dog wardens," said Lawson.
But Lawson and her team only have so much space.
"We do need an extra facility. The City of Akron needs its own dog pound," said Lawson.
News 5 reached out to the City of Akron, and officials said they are aware of the issue, sharing this statement:
"Recently, the City began a deeper dive into animal control and its impact on the community. We are still in the process of scoping the root causes of the issues from multiple perspectives including, but not limited to legal, policy, law enforcement, operational, and community. We have had productive conversations with several key stakeholders, including County of Summit and Summit County Humane Society. This is not an exhaustive list of stakeholders that we plan to engage with during our root cause review and we anticipate defining/redefining our relationship with stakeholders, like rescue organizations and others, to provide balanced outcomes for all parties in the near future. Our goal is to identify and implement solutions that provide long-term answers to long-term problems. When we have actionable pathways, we will share more broadly."
For the animals' sake, Summit County Humane Society and Rubber City Rescue are ready to continue the conversation.
"I have always felt we need more capacity no matter what community you're in. So if there were a third shelter and it happened to be the city, that would be wonderful," said Browning.
"We are looking for some sort of solution like passing legislation from bringing more animals in, adding to the already existing problem," said Lawson.
If you'd like to make a difference and be part of the solution, Summit County Animal Control is running an adoption promotion until February 28. Your new best friend will come microchipped, vaccinated, and fully licensed in Summit County for $28.
