INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis Animal Care Services, the city government’s animal welfare agency, said Friday the shelter is “in dire need of adoptions.”

Crates for dogs sit in the halls. A dog resides in every kennel and a cat waits in every cage in need of a family.

“We have too many animals in the shelter. We need adopters to come in and help us with that and take them home,” said Laura Keith, the kennel manager of the Indianapolis Animal Care Services on Friday evening.

They have about 250 dogs in the building and roughly 130 cats. That’s 10 dogs and 15 cats over capacity.

“We’ve had a lot of intakes and we’re having trouble keeping up,” Keith said.

Some of the animals have been at the shelter for months. One dog, Bernadette, has been at the shelter since June 21. That’s 130 days.

An Animal Care Services spokesperson said unfortunately if they don’t see an increase in adoptions soon, staff will be forced to make some tough decisions.

“You’re right,” Keith said. “That’s a choice we don’t want to make. I have faith that we’re not going to get there because I feel like the citizens of Indianapolis are going to come and help us.”

That’s exactly why Trea Richards of Indianapolis and his family came in Friday night.

“We want to be here to help, and do what we can, you know?” said Trea, a father of four.

The Richards family adopted their second dog Friday evening but expressed concern for the future of others at the shelter.

“I’m going to pray for them,” Richards said. “I hope they all get adopted.”

There is currently no charge for adoptions.

If you can’t adopt, you can still help out by volunteering at the shelter. Officials said volunteer jobs range from dog walking, enrichment, kennel and cage cleaning, and more.

You can also donate supplies. According to officials, the shelter does have a supply budget, but when it is overcrowded, supplies tend to run out quickly. Items needed on a regular basis include bleach, paper towels, cat and kitten food (wet and dry), dog food (wet and dry) and cat litter (pine and clay).

Officials also urged anyone who is considering the surrender of their pet to call the shelter to set up an appointment due to the lack of space. The number is (317) 327-1397, option 3. Due to the staff being busy with animals at the shelter, most callers will need to leave a message to make an appointment.