So, animal rescues across the state are pushing for people to become foster parents.
After Hurricane Florence, shelters were full and foster families stepped in to save animal's lives.
Now, they're in dire need of more families to step up and help out.
Carla Roshitsh said little paws fill her home
"I was sitting here with a lot of time on my hands," foster parent Carla Roshitsh said. "I was on social media and I saw all these posts about all these dogs that just needed help and I knew I was in a situation and a position where I could help."
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Three years and hundreds of dogs later, she's hooked.
Roshitsh fosters dogs with the Paws for Life Animal Rescue.
Right now, she has several puppies; one of which is very special.
Like many dogs, Opal was saved from a shelter during Hurricane Florence, and until she finds her forever home, she needed to be fostered.
"A lot of people did leave their homes and they left their pets behind so the shelters did fill up prior to the Hurricane," Anna Russel said, who also fosters through Paws for Life. "We did go into the shelters and rescue about 14 dogs."
Russel also fosters dogs and she said right now more than ever, North Carolina needs more people to step up and foster animals.
"Long-term fosters really help save a life," Russel said. "The more fosters we have, the more we can take from the shelter and help them find their own loving home."
It's a labor of love and you can be involved too by providing a temporary home for animals in search of their forever family.
"Just take that first step and I promise you, you'll find fulfillment and it will be very rewarding for you and you'll walk away with that feeling that you made a difference," Roshitsh said.
More information about fostering can be found on Paws for Life Animal Rescue's Facebook page or you can email them at info@pawsforlifenc.org.