It’s raining cats and dogs at the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe.

With 28 puppies arriving in the last six weeks, the Truckee animal shelter currently has a surplus of pooches in need of adoption.

Nanette Cronk, the Humane Society’s animal programs manager, said she now refers to herself as “a shameless puppy pusher” in order to find homes for the young pups. The week before Christmas the shelter took in a litter of seven puppies, Cronk said. Before that, a dog pregnant with 11 pups was rescued from Reno.

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“It’s so unusual for us,” Cronk said.

The nonprofit’s most recent adoption day Dec. 23 went well, with six dogs and two cats adopted, she said.

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However, the society had to turn away several people because they were looking to take pets home as Christmas presents, which is strongly discouraged. The Humane Society carefully screens people looking to adopt a pet, Cronk said.

Staff at the Tahoe Vista Animal Shelter said they don’t allow people to adopt pets as gifts. Employees at the shelter believe animals should not be adopted on impulse because it is a decision that lasts a lifetime. So far, no pets have been “returned” from the holiday weekend, according to the shelter’s staff.

In 2005, more pets were adopted than were taken in after the holidays, Cronk said.

“Our primary focus is to get them homes,” she said.

Luckily for the animals in Truckee, the Humane Society has a foster pet program, Cronk said. Volunteers take rescued pets into their own homes until they are adopted. Cronk said an eight-week-old black lab was dropped off at the shelter Dec. 26, and that she herself will be fostering the pup at home.

Because the Humane Society doesn’t have a permanent shelter, the Town of Truckee Animal Control has been sharing its space with the non-profit since 1999, said Dan Olsen, Animal Control manager for the town.

The two organizations work together and “help each other out” Olsen said. So far, space for animals at the shelter hasn’t been a concern. However, for the past three years there have been talks among both groups of building a shelter together. The town is working on locating a site for a new facility, Olsen said.

“We are desperately working on getting a new shelter,” Cronk said. “We plan on raising money next spring. We have preliminary plans drawn up.”