Instead of stealing Christmas this time of year, the infamous Grinch made a detour from Whoville to surprise workers and four-legged residents of the Greater Birmingham Humane Society.

There the Grinch adopted a stuffed version of Max, his loyal, yet overworked tiny K9 sidekick. Max was taken from his cage and given a new home, but many dogs are not so lucky.

Shelters are now seeing increased numbers of strays within their custody, said executive director Allison Black Cornelius

Cornelius said the adoptions for dogs in shelter are declining, in part due to people seeking specially bred puppies that they can select online and even have delivered to their doorsteps.

Multiple online sites list puppies for sale from dog breeders that are delivered to customers. Amazon itself has a policy against selling live animals apart from insects, fish, shellfish, or crustaceans.

“It’s really hurting shelters,” she said. “Shelters are all full, and adoptions are down across the country.”

A 2021 survey from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals showed that nearly one in five homes acquired a cat or dog since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, accounting for about 23 million American households.

But the numbers are trending the wrong way, said Cornelius, saying home-delivered designer puppies are providing tough competition to shelters around the county, including in Birmingham.

Images of the Grinch’s holiday visit were shared widely on social media, bringing greater attention to the Birmingham shelter and the need to adopt animals.

Underneath the fuzzy frowning face was Stephanie Salvago, the Birmingham shelter’s director of marketing and public relations.

“I didn’t even know that it was her!” Cornelius said. “They wanted to show what a dog would go through if it comes to the shelter. People just loved it. I was really impressed.”

As the Grinch visit photos continue to circulate, Cornelius and her team hope they result in more visits from adoptive pet owners. Adoption inquiry messages have increased, and people have also stopped Cornelius during a meal at the Waffle House to talk about the holiday photos.

“We’re just trying to do something to make people remember if you’re going to get a dog, get a shelter puppy,” she said. “We just want people to have a merry Christmas and adopt a dog – or a cat.”