DENHAM SPRINGS - With temperatures reaching triple digits and the heat index well into the 110s, the Denham Springs Animal Shelter is seeking fosters to help take in dogs and decrease their capacity. 

As of Sunday, the shelter was beyond its capacity and had to put dogs in outdoor kennels with only fans to cool them off. 

"We are begging for people to open their homes to some of our long-haired or senior dogs to foster for this upcoming heat wave," the shelter posted. "We supply everything, such as kennel and food, you supply air conditioning and love."

Additionally, the shelter lost power in the last couple of days, leaving all dogs in the shelter completely without air conditioning. 

Shelter director Rachel Boutwell says they desperately need more families to take a dog home, even if it's just for a couple days.

"Right now we're just bursting at the seams," she said.

Boutwell says they usually have 40-60 dogs on average, but currently they have over 100. The overcrowding makes it impossible for everyone to have access to air conditioning.

"Normally, heat advisories and freezes and stuff like that, we're able to comfortably rearrange all the dogs where they are inside."

Currently, they're having to get creative with how to keep dogs cool.

"We're doing everything we can as far as fans and sprinklers, stuff like that. It's still miserable"

That also includes rotating the dogs inside for a couple hours in pop-up kennels, or putting them in cooling vests that were donated.

But, with it only forecasted to get hotter, these solutions are only temporary.

"Every dog that gets out of here, another dog gets to come inside the a/c. Our goal is to try and get everybody indoors whether it's the building that air conditioned or a home."

For those interested in helping the shelter, you can call the facility at (225) 664-4472 or message the business on Facebook.