Charlotte Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control searches for owner who abandoned nine dogs

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Local animal control officers are searching for the person who they claim dumped nine dogs at the already crowded Charlotte Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control Shelter. WCCB Charlotte’s Zane Cina learned how this large number of deserted pets has strained the shelter.

A picture posted to the friends_of_cmas Instagram page shows different crates that were found in front of the shelter early Saturday morning. ACC communications manager, Melissa Knicely said it’s an unusual case of abandonment. “It’s rare that an employee would get to work, and you would see nine crates outside,” Knicely said.

Shelter security cameras caught a Penske truck as it dropped each of the nine the dogs off on the front sidewalk of the building. The shelter received an email just two days prior from someone who wanted to surrender “10 well-cared-for dogs.” Staff believe that email was sent by the same person who dropped off the dogs. In their email, the owner said their house caught fire and the dogs had been living in that Penske truck for a few days as a result. Knicely said the shelter replied to the email and explained the shelter’s space limits along with the proper steps to surrender an animal. The shelter has not heard back since.

Knicely said the shelter works daily to avoid hitting max capacity. The new nine abandoned dogs have set them back in terms of resources. “We almost can always say we’re at capacity for dogs,” Knicely said. “It turns so quickly.”

Knicely praised programs like fostering and stay-cations which volunteers have taken advantage of to help free up kennel space for new animals. These programs routinely help the shelter to avoid euthanasia options. Knicely urges anyone with interest in helping the shelter to keep its capacity in check, to consider adopting, fostering, or taking pets on a stay-cation. More information on each of those programs can be found at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control website.

Animal control officers want to find the owner of the nine dogs so they can sign legal surrender paperwork, which will help them to speed up the adoption process of the nine abandoned dogs.