WilCo animal shelter begging community to adopt; reconsiders 'no kill' streak

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas - The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter is begging the community to adopt its dogs. The animal shelter has become so overcrowded, it's reconsidering its "no kill" streak.

The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter has maintained its no kill status for 13 years, but that streak has become harder to maintain recently.

"We are very much beyond our capacity for care here. The shelter has been basically at beyond critical status for quite some time now," said April Peiffer, Community Programs Coordinator with the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter.

Currently, the animal shelter has more than 200 dogs under its care. Peiffer says the shelter is only designed and staffed to care for 110 dogs.

"It's difficult to see these animals here who really want to be in a loving home of their own," she said.

The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter is begging the community to adopt as the shelter is becoming overcrowded. Photo courtesy: WilCo animal shelter website

Peiffer believes the influx in dogs at their facility is tied to the economy.

"Everything costs so much more right now. Dog food, just the simple thing of dog food, is so expensive these days. People are struggling to feed themselves and so, you know, they are often having to make difficult decisions about whether they can keep their pets," she said.

The animal shelter is now relying on the community to adopt or foster dogs from the facility.

RELATED: Celebrate National Best Friends Day with WCRAS's Doggy Day Out program

"We need everybody, the entire community, to come and help us so that we don't have to make any difficult decisions and, thankfully, we know that when we put that word out to the community, we can count on them. It's just that right now that need is greater than it might otherwise be," said Peiffer.

The animal shelter has a $2 adoption rate for dogs through the end of the weekend.