Dallas Animal Services is bursting at the seams, and city officials worry that one hoarding cruelty case could push the shelter over the limits.
According to shelter data available Friday afternoon, 436 dogs occupy 307 kennels, for a 142% capacity rate. The capacity for cats is topping 152%, with 144 felines taking up the 95 kennels. That overcapacity comes even though animals stay in the shelter for shorter periods than in years past, Paul Ramon, director of Dallas Animal Services, told the City Council’s Public Safety Committee last week.
A growing number of owners surrendering their pets has left animal caretakers scrambling. Last fiscal year, 28,000 animals moved through the DAS system, 4,000 more than the year prior…