Cat adoptions and fostering have resumed at Alachua County Animal Resources. Dog adoptions and most intake stay paused after an illness outbreak and overcrowding.

Alachua County’s animal shelter is adopting out cats again and placing them with foster homes. Everything else stays on hold for now.

The shelter has “partially reopened to allow cat adoptions and fostering opportunities,” the county said Tuesday. It will tell the public when full intake and adoption services resume. The release gave no date for that.

The shelter, run by Alachua County Animal Resources, is at 3400 NE 53rd Ave. It is open 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, according to the Animal Resources page.

Why it closed

The county stopped all new intakes and adoptions on Oct. 8. An upper respiratory illness was spreading among animals at the shelter, and the shelter was “severely overcrowded,” the county’s Oct. 8 release said.

“This is a difficult but necessary decision,” County Manager Michele Lieberman said at the time. “Our priority is getting these animals healthy, reducing overcrowding, and returning to normal operations as quickly as possible.”

What is still paused

Tuesday’s update reopened cat adoptions and fostering only. Under the Oct. 8 rules, which the county has not lifted:

  • the shelter does not take owner surrenders
  • it does not take healthy stray animals
  • it does take animals that need emergency medical care or pose a threat to public safety
  • owners can still reclaim lost pets
  • Animal Resources officers still respond to public safety concerns and animal emergencies

A review of Animal Resources

Separately, the county has hired Citygate Associates LLC to evaluate Animal Resources and find ways to improve it. The county is asking the public to fill in a stakeholder survey as part of that review, its Oct. 7 release said.

Answers are meant to be confidential but are subject to Florida’s public records law, the county said. Leave out your name and email address if you want to stay anonymous.

What it means for you

  • Want a cat? Adoptions are open again during shelter hours, Tuesday through Saturday. See who is available on the county’s adoptable pets page.
  • Can you foster? Call Animal Resources at 352-264-6870 and press 3.
  • Found a stray? The shelter is not taking healthy strays yet. The county asks finders to check for a tag, have the animal scanned for a microchip and post a found-pet report on 24PetConnect. Keep the animal for a short time if you can.
  • Looking to adopt a dog or surrender a pet? Wait for the county’s notice that full service has resumed. We will update this story when it does.