The San Jose Animal Care and Services Center is seeing record-high numbers of animals coming to the shelter, with more than 900 dogs, cats and other pets calling the shelter home as of late May.
Jay Terrado, the Deputy Director of the center, said what’s happening in San Jose is part of a broader national crisis taking place in shelters across the country of more pets arriving and staying longer. With so many animals at the shelter, the center is pleading with the community to help out, and warning that their ability to help new animals is limited because of their strapped capacity.
A kitten is spoon fed at the Animal Care and Services Center on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, in San Jose, Calif. The center is experiencing record-high numbers of pets entering the shelter and staying longer. As of late May, there were around 250 dogs and puppies, roughly 600 cats and kittens, and several dozen other pets, such as rabbits, at the shelter. To manage the number of animals in need of care, the shelter said it was only taking in sick, injured or aggressive pets, and asking the public to tap their networks – utilizing rehoming platforms like