Manatee County Animal Services is dealing with overcrowding at its Palmetto shelter.

Volunteer coordintor Samantha Wolfe said that ideally, 80 dogs would be the maximum they can keep. But this week the shelter reached 141 dogs.

“We are doubling up on kennel space,” she said. “One dog is on one side of the kennel and is living in half the space that he has the ability to do so.”

Wolfe said the conditions make it difficult to keep the dogs healthy.

“When you have so many dogs crammed into an area, they start getting sick and catching different colds and pneumonia,” Wolfe said.

She said adoptions have been very slow lately.

“It boggles my mind how amazing dogs can just sit here and wait and get looked over,” Wolfe said. “I’m hoping people will come and get them out of the kennels.”

Another reason for the higher numbers could be tougher guidelines at the shelters.

“We have a new transfer agreement that gives us inspection rights,” said Bill Hutchison, interim director of Manatee County’s Animal Services. “Even after they’re on board and taking animals from us, we can pop in and do inspections. We never had that before.”

Hutchison said ever since the Napier scandal, the shelter has become stricter about who takes their animals. Last year, more than 300 dogs, cats and horses were confiscated from Napier Log Cabin Horse and Animal Sanctuary in East Bradenton.

The owners, Alan and Sheree Napier, were recently found guilty of abusing the animals. Alan Napier was sentenced to 36 months in prison followed by four years probation, while Sheree Napier was sentenced to 270 days in jail followed by three years probation.

Hutchison said as a result of the crackdown, they’re taking in more dogs.

This week, an animal control officer had to remove 17 dogs from the care of a woman was trying to run a local rescue.

“In the course of doing a routine health check, it was clear she was just overwhelmed and she had no help,” Hutchison said. “She was by herself and the animal control officer talked to her. He knew she was in over her head and he offered her an alternative, which was to surrender the animals to us. She immediately accepted his offer.”

However, he said they don’t have room for the extra dogs. They’re now placing them with different rescue groups around the area.

Animal Services will not euthanize any adoptable, healthy animals there. They are trying to get them adopted out.

To help ease the overcrowding, an adoption special is taking place at the Palmetto location from Saturday, April 11 to Saturday, April 18. Adoption fees are as follows:

  • $15 - adoption for over 60-days
  • $25 - adoption for over 30-days
  • $10 - Heartworm positive dogs

In addition, Manatee County residents have to pay $15 license tag fee.

All animals are spayed, neutered, micro chipped and rabies vaccinated and have all other vaccinations.

To see the dogs and cats available for adoption, visit .mymanatee.org/pets.