BOISE, Idaho — Meridian Canine Rescue is in need of help from dog fosters in the Treasure Valley, as they are "drowning" in the number of requests from people wanting to surrender their pups.
Board President Karinna Lozano told KTVB Meridian Canine Rescue has seen roughly 30 to 40 owner surrender requests every month for the past three to four months.
Earlier this week, the organization received 10 inquires in less than a 48-hour period. In a Facebook post, MCR said it "just cannot help any more dogs without foster homes." Now, they need the community's help.
"We cannot do this alone," Lozano said. "Our shelter is really small. We have a capacity to six to eight dogs at any given time. We have been full the past three years. So, we cannot take any new dog until somebody in the community has stepped up and is able to open their home."
Lozano said the reasons behind surrenders vary. The non-profit, no-kill canine rescue is seeing an increase in housing issues leading to surrender inquires, among other common reasons.
"The owner passed away and then the family doesn't have the resources to keep the dog, or they don't want to keep the dog, so the dog doesn't have any place to go," Lozano said. "We also get dogs that are being surrendered because of behavioral issues, meaning that there's something going on in the house they cannot manage the behavior, you know. It can be too barky, too mouthy, too jumpy."
According to its website, Meridian Canine Rescue includes more than 200 volunteers and 50 community partners. MCR has worked to get more than 2,500 homeless and surrendered dogs a second chance.
"Our mission is to help any dog to find a home," Lozano said. "We train them and rehabilitate them in our shelter right here, and we keep them until we find a better suitable home for them."
MCR also provides training, support, supplies and additional assistance. While the work is nothing short of admirable, they need anyone looking for a fur baby to come forward and help them out.
To learn more about Meridian Canine Rescue, view their dogs or to donate, click here.
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