South suburban animal shelter in crisis: Urgent plea for homes as dogs overflow

MATTESON, Ill. - A south suburban animal shelter is facing a dire situation as they urgently seek homes for more than a dozen dogs taken in over the last two days.

The South Suburban Humane Society, with locations in Matteson and Homewood, reached a critical point on Tuesday when they welcomed their 18th dog in just two days. Among the recent arrivals is Wendy, a severely emaciated canine found among six dogs abandoned in Cook County forest preserves. The shelter issued an urgent plea on Facebook, revealing that every available shelter space has been filled.

This plea comes on the heels of a capacity challenge faced by the shelter in August, where FOX 32 witnessed the strain on resources as air conditioning units struggled to cope with the summer heat.

In a bid to alleviate the situation, the shelter has announced a fee waiver for all pets older than six months on Wednesday. Adoption forms can be accessed through their Facebook page and website at southsuburbanhumanesociety.org.

For those interested in fostering an animal, the process is streamlined, taking only about an hour to complete.