San Diego Humane Society has too many dogs, waiving first 100 adoption fees until Sunday

There are too many dogs in the San Diego Humane Society (SDHS) and Mayor Todd Gloria stepped in to help.

According to Gary Weitzman, president and chief executive officer of the organization, more than 600 dogs are in the care of the Society for the Protection of Animals. That’s way more than they should have, although Weitzman said they would never turn down a dog. Instead, they had to get creative.

“Right now we have animals in our classrooms, we have animals in our classroom, some of our principals have animals in their office,” Weitzman said.

To address this issue, Mayor Gloria partnered with SDHS to run a promotion called Gloria 100 this weekend, Friday through Sunday. There is no fee to adopt the first 100 adult dogs. After 100 dogs, the rest adopted during that time will cost $25.

“Two years ago I got a rescue dog, it was the best decision I ever made,” Gloria said, referring to her pup named Diego.

The record high number of dogs could be the result of several different factors, including the high cost of living right now, which is putting financial pressure on dog owners, and, according to Weitzman, so many people being adopted in the midst of a pandemic that homes are closed. full, and not many people are looking for a furry family member.

This affects not only the animals, but also the staff.

“I’m losing sleep just knowing we’re so full,” Weitzman said. “This is the time when we must take action to prepare for the season of tension, but this year, from 2022 to 2023, the season of tension will never end.”

Any dog ​​seven months old or older is entered into the Gloria 100. At the SDHS office on Gaines Street, where the seven-year-old Sheeba is located.

“She loves to get her butt scratched and she loves doing little missions, little side quests when we’re out and about,” said Bradley Thomas, who worked with her for about three months.

There are also a couple of four-year-old brothers named Roger and Elbrus. They are like two drops of water and the definition of gentle giants.

“I think they will do well in any family, they adapt to any. They just really want to be your hug buddy,” said Caroline Malcolm, who helped Elbrus demonstrate her tricks like “sit” and “shake.”

If you are unable to get a dog, there are other ways to help, such as temporarily adopting a dog. Weitzman said they are also asking people to try not to bring in dogs that need to be relocated or dogs that are thought to be lost. They understand that this is necessary, but if possible, they need the help of people to try to do their best before bringing the animal to SDHS.

For more information on how you can help, click here.