Astrid, Mo and Topanga, clockwise from left, sit on the “Meowgler Bridge” play structure at the Clatsop County Animal Shelter.

Recent hoarding incidents helped fill the Clatsop County Animal Shelter to maximum capacity, prompting the shelter to appeal to the public to help lighten the load with adoptions.

Justin Dersham, the shelter’s supervisor, said the shelter was overwhelmed with pets in July, leaving a long waitlist. On Aug. 2, about 55 animals were at the shelter, 35 were in foster homes and 29 were on a waiting list to go into the shelter.

“Not only is it kitten season, but we’ve recently received an influx of dogs and cats from two recent hoarding situations and this is the time of year when many people move and may have to give up their pets to obtain new housing,” Dersham said.

The shelter has five full-time employees, but over 100 volunteers help at the shelter or with fostering.

For a no-kill shelter, adoptions, foster homes and waitlists are some of the only options to prevent overcrowding. The waitlist is for people who need to relinquish their pets due to behavioral issues, moving or being otherwise unable to care for them. The longest a pet has been on the list is five months for a dog and four months for a cat, Dersham said.

The shelter launched the “Purrfect Storm” adoption campaign with the goal of getting 15 animals adopted in three weeks. At the start of the campaign, there were 87 adoptable animals.

They put together a media campaign — including a YouTube video with “cat correspondents” reporting on the proverbial storm — for social media and the Clatsop County website. They’re also offering T-shirts with “Purrfect Storm” logos on them for people who adopt pets during the campaign.

In the first two weeks of the campaign, the shelter reached 26 adoptions — 11 cats and 15 dogs.

“The community response to this campaign has warmed our hearts,” Dersham said.