'Critically full' Stockton Animal Shelter holds free pet adoption event

The Stockton Animal Shelter is overflowing with animals in need of forever homes with loving families. So on Saturday, the shelter offered free adoptions to Stocktonians interested in opening their hearts to a new furry friend.

The event was part of Clear the Shelters, a nationwide campaign geared to drive up pet adoptions.

Adrianna Guerrero-Tapia of Stockton lined up outside of the shelter Saturday afternoon, excited at the thought of bringing another pet into her family.

Guerrero-Tapia said she's been a lifelong animal lover and her family currently has three dogs and two cats.

"I've always wanted to adopt another dog, and since they were free today, I was like, 'Today's the day,'" she said. “All of our dogs were rescued and we feel like we can save one more life today."

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Exiting the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the shelter has seen an increase in the number of animal intakes each day, Meghan Ramczyk, Animal Services supervisor for the City of Stockton, said.

Ramczyk said that prior to Saturday, the shelter was considered to be "critically full," and was completely full of medium and large breed dogs.

"When we are critically full, it gets to a point where all of our intake kennels are full and there's no open kennels in general population to move them. So that basically leaves us with absolutely zero space to have dogs," Ramczyk said.

Throughout the past year, the Sacramento Shelter Pets Alive (SSPA) nonprofit organization has been urging people to adopt or foster pets from the animal shelter.

"We're begging for help," the SSPA said in a Facebook post earlier this month. "This is a beyond heartbreaking situation, and the dogs desperately need your help to clear the shelter now."

Ramczyk said the overflow began at the shelter nearly two years ago and that there are many contributing factors to the shelter's rise in intakes.

"Of course a lot of people have hardships, whether it's medical needs of the dog or medical needs of their own ... affording food or affording necessary training," she said.

Ramczyk said the COVID-19 pandemic has had an affect on the increase of unhoused dogs in the shelter.

"A lot of folks maybe acquired dogs during the quarantine and they weren't able to properly socialize them," Ramczyk said.

Improperly socialized dogs can develop behavioral or mental issues that some owners may be ill-equipped or unwilling to deal with. Instead, those animals are surrendered to the shelter, she said.

In addition to the adoptions, the shelter also offered microchipping and vaccinations of pets for free to adoptees on Saturday. Vendors such as The Chimulita Halal Food Truck and Woof N Purr Pet Bakery were stationed at the shelter.

Araceli Martinez, founder of Woof N Purr Pet Bakery — a small business that sells homemade baked treats for cats and dogs — said she felt honored when asked to be a part of the event.

"Anything for the animals," Martinez said, adding she was happy to see many animals leaving the shelter with their new families.

Homes were found for a total of about 50 animals on Saturday — about 25 dogs and 25 cats, according to Ramczyk.

"Having that many kennels open up is substantial," she said.

Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@recordnet.com or on Twitter @byhannahworkman. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

This article originally appeared on The Record: Stockton Animal Shelter offers free adoptions in Clear the Shelters event