Right now, animal shelters across Alabama are bursting at the seams. Staff are overwhelmed, kennels are full, and heartbreaking choices are being made every day—simply because there’s no room left.

Families across the state, hit hard by inflation and rising costs of living, are being forced to make impossible decisions. Pets they’ve loved for years are being surrendered, not out of neglect, but out of desperation. Housing costs are up. Food prices are up. Vet care is unaffordable for many. And the safety nets just aren’t there.

Alabama’s shelters are doing everything they can. They’re leaning on volunteers, stretching every dollar, and turning office spaces into makeshift kennels. But it’s not enough. Without emergency funding and rapid action, we risk seeing more mass euthanasia of healthy, adoptable animals—simply because there’s nowhere for them to go.

We’re calling on Governor Kay Ivey, the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries, and local governments to provide immediate emergency funding and support to struggling animal shelters. This includes money for food, staffing, temporary foster programs, veterinary care, and spay/neuter initiatives to prevent further overcrowding.

Animal shelters are a public service. When the economy falters, they catch the fallout. They’re taking in the animals that families can no longer afford to keep—animals who did nothing wrong. And they’re trying to do it with fewer resources than ever.

We believe Alabama can do better. We believe pets and the people who love them deserve better.

If you agree, please sign and share this petition. Together, we can urge state and local leaders to step up before this crisis worsens. The animals—and the families who had no other choice—are counting on us.