FLINT -- The animal control shelter in Genesee County is overcrowded with pets, and understaffed.
It’s a problem many say won't change unless the economy does too.
The Genesee County Animal Control Shelter is running out of room and resources to take care of the nearly 300 animals that live there.
The chief animal control officer says the down economy is to blame.
"We have had some people that have had to go to shelters with their children, had been living in their car, staying with friends and family, and can't take a pet into that situation," said the Genesee County Chief Animal Control Officer Stepheni Lazar.
In less than an hour, ten pets were dropped off.
One of them was a three month old puppy named Ice.
Her owner says she couldn't afford to take care of her anymore.
“It kinda got hard when it's just one income in the household, so running out and buying food for her and making sure the kids have everything they need, and cat food and litter, it kind of gets hard,” said Season Gist who just gave away her puppy to the shelter.
Every day at least two cats are euthanized at the shelter to make room for more.
“We’ve had cats here that we've had for a couple of months, that are spayed, declawed, and kittens that are already altered that we just can't find enough homes for all these pets,” said Lazar.
As the number of animals who are dropped off at the shelter increase, the number of people hired to take care of then has decreased.
“In the year and a half I’ve been here, my staff has been cut in half,” said Lazar.
The owner of The Family Puppy pet store says he's trying to help the shelter by offering an in-house adoption program.
"We give them a pass to go to the veterinarian, it's free to them as long as the kitten or puppy doesn't have any external parasites, doesn't cost the owner anything, we keep that puppy or kitten, and have it spayed and neutered and then adopted out that week," said John Stottele, the Owner of The Family Puppy.
So far 122 kittens have found new homes through the program.
Over at the animal shelter, these friendly faces are waiting to find theirs.
The Genesee County Animal Control Shelter offers a cheaper price to euthanize a pet, which is also contributing to the influx of animals.
