Thousands of people participated in this year's Walk For Animals at Liberty Station on Saturday. The annual fundraising event allocates money to the San Diego Humane Society to fund the vital resources the shelter provides for thousands of animals.
"Summer's really our busy season for animal work throughout really not just San Diego but throughout the country," Dr. Gary Weitzman, president of SDHS, said.
SDHS has been dealing with overcrowding at its shelters for months on end. The shelter currently has roughly 40,000 animals in their care, and most — if not all — of whom need a permanent home. But this year, the shelter said it has seen an unusual change.
"I'd say for at least the last nine months to even a year, we've had about a 60% increase in animals," Weitzman said.
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The goal for SDHS at Saturday's event was to raise $330,000. The shelter was able to raise more than $300,000 thanks to the nearly 3,000 participants.
"This actually really helps us to fund the programs that save their lives throughout the year. It's the beginning of the fundraising season for us and the beginning of animal season," Weitzman said.
San Diego County recently launched a new foster program to help local shelters with overcrowding. There are more than 1,000 pets available to foster.
