COURTESY MHS
Sunny and Cloudy are at-risk dogs still waiting to be adopted at the Maui Humane Society, which says its shelter is at overcapacity. MHS says the pair are bonded, but may have to be euthanized if no one adopts them by the end of the month.
The Maui Humane Society is putting out an urgent plea to help two remaining dogs at its shelter set to be euthanized unless they are adopted by Oct. 30.
The two remaining dogs — Sunny and Cloudy — are a bonded pair, and the remaining out of 20 that were listed as “at-risk” due to long shelter stays.
The Maui Humane Society announced earlier this month that it had entered a “lifesaving protocol crisis response: as its dog population has exceeded safe capacity.
The nonprofit said it was working urgently to find homes for dogs who face medical or behavioral challenges requiring long shelter stays, and that those not adopted or transferred by Oct. 30 would be humanely euthanized.
“We have been transparent with our community and asking for help for a very long time,” said MHS in a social media post to Instagram and Facebook Oct. 10. “Earlier this year, we shared that we were nearing the heartbreaking point of euthanizing for space and Capacity for Care. Thanks to the swift response from our supporters and the dedication of our staff, volunteers, and fosters, those difficult decisions were avoided. Sadly, we are back at that point.”
The shelter population has exceeded what is safe and sustainable, MHS said, and the nonprofit must make difficult decisions.
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Victoria Ivankic said it isn’t the first time the Maui Humane Society has issued this plea, but it is the first time at this scale, with 20 dogs, and she has been heartened by how the community has responded so far.
But Sunny and Cloudy, both 2-year-old, mixed-breed dogs — one female and one male — are still looking for a home.
The two were rescued from a property among a group of 20 dogs found living in poor health and in poor conditions, she said, with little socialization or experience on a leash.
“They were among about 20 dogs we took in,” she said. “Since April, we have been dedicated to helping to rehabilitate these dogs, but the shelter environment sometimes makes it worse.”
She said Sunny and Cloudy and two very special cases, and she hopes people will give them a chance. They are bonded with one another, but can be adopted out separately.
“These animals, we believe, would do great in a home,” she said, “but here in the shelters, they’re dealing with the sight, sounds, smells and reactivity, and sometimes animals that come into our care healthy and happy, because of the sheer capacity, they begin to deteriorate.”
The shelter at Maui Humane Society has been at overcapacity for some time, with 138 dogs in its care, she said. But so are shelters across the state and across the U.S.
On Maui, more than 400 pets last year were surrendered due to a lack of pet-inclusive housing, she said, and there has been an uptick.
The Lahaina wildfires in 2023 have made the housing shortage even more challenging.
“Like many shelters, we have not had to make those decisions in a long time, and we kept asking for help and the community would step up,” she said. “The animals don’t stop coming in.”
The MHS dogs are also available for adoption off-island, to families on other Hawaiian islands, as well as on the U.S. continent.
Anyone interested in adopting can fill out an at-risk dog inquiry form at mauihumaneosciety.org, call 808-877-3680 or email [email protected].