PORT ANGELES — The Olympic Peninsula Humane Society (OPHS) will indefinitely close its Bark House campus due to overwhelming financial strain from an historic rise in animal surrenders post-pandemic.

In a news release Wednesday, OPHS Executive Director Jason Stipp said the decision highlights a national crisis affecting shelters, leading to increased operational costs and capacity issues.

He added that OPHS remains committed to not euthanizing adoptable animals for space and that the closure will not impact operations at Kitty City in Sequim, WA, which will be renovated to accommodate dogs.

Stipp said the decision aims to stabilize OPHS’s finances and improve housing quality for dogs. The organization seeks to have all dogs adopted or transferred to other rescues by the end of August 2024 and will not accept new dogs for the foreseeable future.

Because of the closure, the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office says it no longer has a place to house dogs involved with animal control calls.