Call them lucky dogs. 16 dogs and puppies are being pampered in Marin after getting rescued from an overcrowded shelter in Fresno.
And it's all thanks to the Marin Humane Society's new Intake Center, a facility built to rescue animals from shelters across the state.
"The shelters are completely overburdened. They're euthanizing animals that are lovely but there's just no place for them to go," said Dawn Kovell, coordinator of Marin Humane Society's Pet Partnership Program.
Kovell says shelters are especially strained because of the foreclosure crisis. She says people are abandoning pets in alarming numbers and shelters can't keep up.
"They're coming from situations where there might be 10 animals in a kennel," said Kovell.
But Marin's new intake center is like stepping into the Taj Mahal for the animals. Volunteers have ample room to house, feed, bathe and treat the dogs and cats they rescue each month.
Kovell hopes the first batch of rescued dogs will be adopted within the next two weeks. They hope to save more than 1500 animals a year.
"They're wonderful pets they're young, they're healthy, they're social they're just lacking a home," she said.
If you're interested in adopting one of the animals you can call the center's adoption line at (415) 506-6225.
