56 Puppies in 56 Days: Whatcom County Humane Society Faces Overcrowding Crisis

The Whatcom County Humane Society is facing an unprecedented surge in puppies, taking in 56 new puppies since the beginning of the year. This winter wave of young dogs has left the shelter scrambling to find homes and create space amidst an already overcrowded facility.

Executive Director Laura Clark said the shelter received a litter of nine puppies on February 23 and another of seven just days later on February 25. “That number is bonkers,” she said. The Whatcom County Humane Society is one of the only open-admission shelters in the region, meaning they cannot turn away animals in need.

Despite reaching full capacity, the shelter has no plans to alter its open-admission policy. Clark explained that it’s a proud part of their legacy, dating back more than 120 years. However, the increase in animal drop-offs, especially puppies, has made managing the shelter's workload even more challenging. “We’ve become a bit of a dumping ground, and that is not fair to our community’s animals,” Clark said.

The root cause of the shelter’s overcrowding is the ongoing pet overpopulation crisis in the community. Clark emphasized that the best ways to combat this issue are through spaying and neutering pets and encouraging adoption. “As a community, we have to tackle this together to reduce the number of animals needing homes,” she added.

In an effort to reduce the pressure, the shelter has launched a special canine adoption program, offering 50% off adoption fees for dogs and puppies through March 9. Clark hopes that the temporary price reduction will help motivate people to consider adopting, though she emphasized that the ultimate goal is to find responsible, loving homes for every animal.

“We are almost in March. That is so long for an animal to sit in a kennel,” Clark said. “We really are having to re-examine how we are caring for those animals, how we are marketing those animals to the public, what are our options for those animals? They are sitting in kennels waiting to find homes. All the rescues, all the shelters are full, and you go back and say, ‘It’s just a really hard time to be an animal.’”

Managing an overcrowded shelter requires flexibility and creativity. With the constant influx of animals, the Whatcom County Humane Society often collaborates with rescue partners, foster homes, and other shelters to help balance their capacity. Sometimes, tough decisions need to be made, and in rare cases, animals are euthanized for behavioral or health issues. However, Clark noted that it is exceptionally rare for a dog to be euthanized due to space limitations, citing just one dog and five cats put down in 2024 for space-related reasons.

Currently, the shelter has 74 dogs in foster homes and rescue centers, 25 of which are puppies under six months old. While puppies are generally popular and adopted quickly, larger breeds and older dogs tend to wait longer for their forever homes. Clark highlighted the difficulty in placing older, larger dogs, such as a German Shepherd, which often require more space and resources compared to smaller breeds.

The shelter staff faces a daily struggle to manage the overwhelming number of animals. Clark described the constant juggling of space and care as part of their routine: “It’s our staff’s struggle every day, from the start of the day to the end, trying to figure out our capacity to care, and where we can humanely house all the animals that are coming into the building.”

With the arrival of warmer weather, the shelter expects an influx of kittens in the coming weeks, which will put additional pressure on their resources. In the meantime, anyone interested in adopting or volunteering can visit the Whatcom County Humane Society website for more information on available animals and opportunities to help.

It’s clear that this is a challenging time for animal shelters, and the community’s support is more vital than ever. The Whatcom County Humane Society continues to work tirelessly to provide care for the many animals in need, but they can’t do it alone. Through adoption, fostering, and helping raise awareness, the community can play a crucial role in alleviating the pressure on local shelters and giving these animals a better future.