GULF SHORES — Gulf Shores Police Department (GSPD) is asking for dog-walking volunteers and interested adoptees to swing by the station.

Interim Police Chief Dan Netemeyer said they have six rescued dogs that were abandoned in various places within the city limits. Officers pick up lost dogs, check if anyone is missing a dog and, if no one is, prepare them for adoption.

Netemeyer said these dogs are more than just strays; they are abandoned by their owners.

Bubba has been at GSPD since November. The police department's six kennel spots are currently full.

"This is not a good quality of life at all, but I refuse to euthanize them," Netemeyer said. "… It's just the best we can do."

He said the dogs receive fans during hot weather and heaters during the winter, and they also are provided with things to keep flies off them. However, GSPD does not have a specific budget for the care and keeping of these dogs.

One of the more frustrating components of this issue, he said, is that rescuing and taking care of abandoned dogs takes community resource officers off the street, where they're called on for handling parking violations, missing children at the beach, drone misuse and conducting traffic.

He said it was also frustrating how other shelters are not taking dogs from GSPD.

"Baldwin County Animal Shelter hasn't taken a dog from us in several months to a year," he said. "There's various not-for-profit shelters, who've been helpful, but they're full, too."

Those who are interested in adopting from GSPD can visit the station at 220 Clubhouse Drive.

Those who are unable to adopt but are interested in helping can visit the station to fill out a volunteer application. Dogs go through a screening process, ensuring they are caught up on vaccines and don't show serious behavioral issues before being handed over to volunteers.

While he said all the dogs are good for adoption, he emphasized a "nice little puppy" found on Brigadoon Trail on July 18 as a suitable adoption option.

They were thinking about putting in a dog run facility, but with the new Gulf Shores Justice Center to be completed next summer, Netemeyer said they are avoiding adding "too much" to the current facility.

He said he isn't sure if there will be a set space for the dogs at the new center, but in the original footprint designs there was a space dedicated to strays and K-9s.

Zeke's Rescue Paws, a team of volunteers based in Foley, recently visited GSPD with their "rover runner," a dog exercise routine with a doggie treadmill and athletic activities.

He said he isn't sure about north Baldwin County but that Foley and Orange Beach police agencies have similar issues with housing and caring for dogs.

Foley's deputy chief of police, Kevin Carnley, said they are not currently seeking volunteers.

Animal control is one Foley's responsibilities, but they partner with local veterinarians and the Baldwin County Animal Shelter to assist with medical assessments and adoptions, respectively.

"Their animals are cared for by employees who are dedicated to ensuring they receive daily attention, exercise and general care while in our custody," Carnley said.

Orange Beach Animal Control did not respond for comment before press time.

According to the Baldwin County Animal Shelter's (BCAS) manual of standard operating procedures, the shelter does not accept animals "at the counter," and the public should not bring in animals.

To report a stray dog or sick or injured stray cat, residents within BCAS jurisdiction can call at (251) 972-6834 to log a complaint. The manual says an animal control officer will not be sent out on calls related to stray cats unless the cat is sick or injured.

"Please note, reporting a stray dog when the stray first arrives on the property is important," the manual reads. "Feeding the stray dog without first reporting the animal can result in the citizen becoming the owner of the dog."

The manual says BCAS has the right to refuse a drop-off from a municipality if the animal shows aggressive behavior or the shelter is at max capacity.

According to intake/outtake reports from BCAS, 598 cats and dogs were accepted by the shelter from Jan. 1 to June 30.

GSPD's Netemeyer has a theory on why so many dogs are abandoned.

"In order to raise a pet, there is a lot of obligation and responsibility that people are not anticipating," he said. "They're a higher maintenance than they anticipated, or when money gets tight people see a pet as recoverable income."

While he is adamant about not euthanizing any dogs in GSPD custody, when the kennels are full, sometimes the dogs are lost in the city.

"It's frustrating," he said. "It's stressful for everybody involved."