Hillsborough County's Pet Resource Center dropped all dog adoption fees after its population hit 320 on Sept. 17, the highest count in at least five years.

Rescue Groups Absorb the Overflow

The shelter at 440 N. Falkenburg Road in Tampa was built for roughly 180 dogs. At 320, it is running at 177% of capacity, according to WFLA. The strain is already reaching Apollo Beach, where Jinger Gordon runs Beach Paws Dog Rescue, a nonprofit that pulls dogs from the shelter when it fills up. Gordon told the Observer News in July she takes up to six dogs a week. "I do this because I love dogs," Gordon said. "I want them to have a good home."

Adoption Fees Fully Waived

Adoption fees that normally run $85 for dogs and $125 for dogs under 25 pounds have been eliminated. The shelter is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Adoptions Dropped Sharply This Summer

The overcrowding follows a sharp drop in adoptions. Shelter leaders told WTSP that 146 fewer dogs were adopted from June 1 through Aug. 31 compared with the same period in 2025. The county said adoption numbers spiked during the pandemic but have fallen locally and nationally since.

Shelter Maintains No-Kill Commitment

The Pet Resource Center is Hillsborough County's only open-admissions shelter, accepting dogs and cats of all ages, breeds and sizes. It does not euthanize animals for space. Through a partnership with Best Friends Animal Society, the shelter achieved a 92% live-outcome rate in July, according to the Observer News. The shelter said in a news release that it is working with rescue groups and foster families to house the overflow but needs more residents to adopt.

Advocates Push for New Facility

The overcrowding adds urgency to a broader push to replace the facility, which dates to the 1980s. At a Sept. 11 county commission budget hearing, volunteer John Marinello told commissioners the building has no air conditioning and no heat, WTSP reported. Dozens of animal advocates urged the commission to set a funded timeline for a new facility. Advocates at the hearing said the county has appropriated $8 million for land acquisition, planning and design. Commission Chair Ken Hagan said at the hearing that claims of plans to delay the project are "unfounded." County staff may present a recommendation on the shelter's future sometime next year, WTSP reported.

How to Adopt or Foster a Pet

Residents who cannot adopt can join the foster program at HCFL.gov/foster or email [email protected]. Available dogs and cats can be viewed at adopt.hcfl.gov.