Sacramento SPCA Turning Away Animals After Pet Owners Drop Off More Than 350 Dogs In 2016

UPDATE: Saturday, Sacramento SPCA announced that they are now accepting dogs again but are still carefully monitoring their space.

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SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The Sacramento SPCA has more dogs than it can handle, and the shelter has stopped accepting animals.

Since the first of the year, it says pet owners have dropped off more than 350 dogs since the beginning of the year.

There were several adoptions on Friday, but not enough to end the moratorium, and anyone who shows up with a dog will be turned away.

The Sacramento SPCA had always accepted any surrendered pet that came through the door, but CEO Rick Johnson said that had to change with 450 animals in their care.

"We're not going to be doing that any more. We're going to make sure we can accommodate the animals that come into us," he said. "It probably costs us $50 a day, per animal."

The shelter saw an increase in family pets, especially senior dogs who were surrendered to the shelter.

First-time adopter Anthony Arellano rescued a labrador who once had a family.

"Playful, energetic, and good with the baby," he said.

The SPCA works with more than 200 rescue groups, but Johnson says they are also overwhelmed with too many dogs.

"And we don't know that until 2 O'Clock during the day when all of a sudden we've gotten in 30 animals," he said.

The SPCA says they're good dogs who deserve homes.

Arellano is bringing baby home first, then coming back for the family dog.

"We're bringing home a dog. It's very exciting and very emotional, because we got the exact dog that we wanted," he said.