Originally Published: 27 JUN 23 12:58 ET

By KEN MOLESTINA

ALEDO, Texas (KTVT) -- A local animal rescue organization in Tarrant County is sounding the alarm on what they are describing as a "community crisis."

Administrators with Saving Hope Animal Rescue say the dog and cat overpopulation that shelters and rescues in North Texas are experiencing is leading to a never before seen amount of euthanasia.

Those that aren't put down, are dying due to disease according to Lauren Anton, the executive director of Saving Hope Animal Rescue.

She said this particular trend has reached an all time high with them.

Anton added, "I've been involved over 15 years, and I've never seen it this bad."

She explained, currently her rescue has about 1,200 animals in their care through a network of foster families.

The majority of those animals were saved from are shelters that had scheduled them for euthanasia because of overcrowding.

Anton says of those dogs in their care many are getting sick and dying.

She said, "We are not able to save as many as we used to because many are sick and we don't know that until they are in foster care."

Anton adds, "A lot of these strains of Parvo and Influenza we didn't see a year ago. These are more deadly strains … during COVID no one spayed and neutered. They didn't vaccinate, and this is an after effect. You see it two years later."

Within the last two weeks, Anton says they lost 10 recently rescued dogs to disease.

Rescue groups says the issues is being fueled by several factors including a shortage of veterinarians, an increase in animal surrenders, and a spike in the cost for treatment.

She's hoping better education and more responsibility on behave of pet owners will help curb this trend she's labeling a "crisis."

Anton said, "This is a community problem where we need to educate, spay, neuter, and vaccinate."