The Austin Animal Center is at full capacity and is waiving adoption fees this weekend. The city's shelter says it has no more kennels left; it aims to get 500 animals adopted over the weekend to free up space.
Shelter officials say they've taken in the most stray animals this year since 2014. They estimate they'll take in as many as 18,000 animals in 2019. The shelter says it's been using temporary kennels in conference rooms and offices to house dogs since late last year.
The center is partnering with Austin Pets Alive! and the Austin Humane Society, both of which took in more than 50 dogs this week.
Austin is the largest "no-kill" city in the United States, but the city's shelter has struggled to maintain that distinction at times. When it adopted the policy in 2011, the city had a goal of not euthanizing 90% of animals taken in. Earlier this year, the Austin City Council raised that threshold to 95%, and long-time volunteers told council the system is unsustainable.
