NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Michelle Wolfe found some seemingly abandoned kittens near her home. She says she was lucky they were kittens and not puppies, or she wouldn’t have been able to take them to Metro Animal Care and Control (MACC).
“They’re actually at capacity, so they were able to take in the cat, but they can’t take in dogs right now,” Wolfe said.
It is a problem that MACC says it has been struggling with for two years.
In an ideal world they would have about 50 dogs, but at the moment they have three times that number.
They are working with the city to get a new, larger facility, but in the meantime they have had to split the single-dog kennels into two.
“However, we come to a point, like today, where we are closed to accepting animals because we do not have any empty kennels,” said Director Ashley Harrington.
Harrington says more animals come to them than leave. They’re asking people to help by being foster parents and making sure they don’t lose their pets.
“It starts with responsible pet ownership. Make sure your dog cannot escape from your home or yard, no matter where he is,” says Harrington.
Wolfe is calling on the city to provide more funds more quickly.
“They’re doing their best. Davidson County is a large county and there are far too many animals that are being mistreated and currently roaming the streets,” Wolfe said.
She says more people need to do their part too.
“What does that look like? Well, it looks like foster care. It looks like spaying and neutering. It looks like providing financial support if you can so that maybe one day they can get a bigger facility,” Wolfe said.
The planning phase for a new facility was financed by the city. There is no timetable yet for when this will happen.
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