DAPHNE, Ala. (WKRG) – With 20 days to go there are still a lot of animals needing a good home.

“We’ve got 9 dogs on site, 2 of which are on stray hold until Monday because we’ve got to hold them for 7 days by state law. We’ve got 5 kittens available for adoption and then 4 more that are in foster homes,” said Daphne Animal Shelter’s adoption and volunteer coordinator Erin Gullett.

The Daphne Animal Shelter is closing their 900 sq. ft. facility on May 29th as crews prepare to demolish the building and expand with a new 9,000 sq. ft. shelter expected to open sometime next year.

“We do have an agreement with other rescues and shelters that any new intakes we get in in the Daphne jurisdiction will go out to them after we do a brief stray hold on them, but we don’t want to overwhelm them right out of the gate,” Gullett explained.

Last weekend during an adoption event the animal shelter was only able to get two dogs adopted. That’s a number they thought would be much higher given the circumstances and current deadline. They’re urging those looking for a new pet, or maybe someone wanting to foster, to reach out and help.

Until the new $4 million shelter opens, staff will be working in a temporary office trailer with a separate kennel trailer on site, but space will be extremely limited. Combining the temporary arrangements with the number of animals they’ve been caring for makes the situation even more urgent at the end of this month.

“Owner surrenders, to animals being dumped, it’s just been astronomical these past two to probably even five years. We’re just all overwhelmed,” she added.

When the new shelter opens there will be room for 22 dogs, 22 cats and medical rooms with indoor and outdoor features throughout. Heated and cooled spaces and sound-proof technology will be some of the biggest additions.

Adoption events are scheduled for May 13th and May 20th. For more information click here.