Shelter Overflowing With 'Stressed' Puppies Issues Urgent Appeal to Public

A woman who volunteers at her local animal shelter has implored people to consider adopting from their local rescue center instead of a breeder, as there are so many dogs and puppies in need of a loving home.

For Alex Lazarchik from Huntsville, Alabama, volunteering at her local animal shelter, Huntsville Animal Services, has been an emotional experience. Lazarchik, who works as a social media strategist, helps in the evenings and during weekends by taking the dogs for walks, feeding them, and simply offering them love and affection.

She told Newsweek: "I try to take out as many dogs as I can to use the bathroom and run around in the yard to get their energy out. I also sit in the kennels with the dogs who are nervous, or who can't go outside due to surgery, needing vaccinations, or other reasons.

"Many of these dogs really need to get their energy out and just want to feel love. Since I can't take every dog out each time, I try to give all of them treats and say hello to them outside their kennel. I want to make sure they all feel noticed.

"It completely breaks my heart knowing that not all the dogs will make it out of the shelter. Shelters can be very stressful environments for dogs. It makes me sad when I think of them sleeping in their kennels, and that they don't all experience a loving home each day."

Lazarchik explained that she tried to "take out at least five or six dogs per visit," and then she would sit with some of the puppies in their kennels afterwards.

Since taking up her volunteering role, Lazarchik has combined her knowledge of social media and her love for animals to share videos of the pups on TikTok (@alexvolunteer). The idea for the social media page is "to help the animals get adopted faster," she said.

The account was set up on August 5, and the first video has already accumulated over 35,300 views, and more than 10,000 likes. As she continues to share videos of the dogs, she hopes it will bring in more interest from people looking to adopt.

She continued: "I was completely surprised to see how many people supported the dogs so quickly. People have been tremendously supportive, and we've even had some inquiries to adopt come in through social media. If these videos help even one dog get adopted or encourage people to adopt, that's a huge win.

"Many shelters have been reaching capacity and some are euthanizing dogs due to space, it's extremely sad. I wish I could give them all homes, which is part of the reason I started volunteering.

"If you can, please support your local shelters. I understand that we can't all adopt every dog, but even one hour of your time during the week to volunteer helps."

In Lazarchik's viral TikTok video, she is seen cradling a nervous puppy, while adding that dogs can get "so stressed in shelters." While many people might think animal shelters are filled with older dogs, the TikToker adds that "shelters are overflowing with puppies," as she encourages people to adopt their "next furry friend" instead.

Hundreds of TikTok users have commented on the adorable video, as one person responded: "What a sweet baby! She deserves her loving forever home!"

Another person wrote: "Look at that sweet face. Please foster or adopt. Rescues are the absolute best dogs, so much love to give."

Do you have any adorable videos or pictures of your pet that you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.