ORLANDO, Fla. — Since the shelter’s reopening for the new year, and due to increased dog intake, Orange County Animal Services has announced that all adoption fees for shelter dogs will be waived through Jan. 14.

Shelter officials say they are seeking community help to place more than 230 dogs that are now in their care. They are also asking citizens to adopt, foster or attempt to reunite found dogs with their owners before bringing them to the shelter.

“This is a challenging time of year for us, as most people aren’t in a position to adopt around the holidays — money is tight, people are traveling and spending time with family,” said Orange County Animal Services manager Diane Summers. “Unfortunately, while adoption interest may dwindle around the holidays, our intake does not.”

Among the many dogs currently in the care is Gandalf. The shelter will be celebrating his sixth birthday by having a party on Saturday. During the event, Gandalf will be featured in the shelter’s front play yard, where party-goers will be able to interact with him, in the hopes of finding him a forever home.

“Gandalf is the perfect example of a great dog who has been overlooked for months,” said Summers. “He’s a volunteer favorite, friendly with people and plays well with other dogs. We’re throwing him a birthday party this Saturday to bring attention to him because he’s flown under the radar for far too long.”

Orange County Animal Services has also recently launched an intake diversion program which aims to provide resources to struggling pet owners and helping dilute cases where dogs need to be admitted.

They still have yet to be able to accept these types of dogs though as the queue continues to grow daily, according to Summers.

For more information on adopting a pet in Orange County, visit the shelter’s website.