10/23/2026
Another day. Another animal in need. Another stray picked up by Animal Control and rushed to the veterinarian for emergency care.
We now have TWO dogs with broken legs recovering in shelter kennels. And the reality is, we are struggling to keep up.
So far this year, we've had nearly 700 stray animals enter our shelter. Only 14% have been reclaimed.
FOURTEEN PERCENT!!!!!!!
This week alone, we've had 39 intakes and only 8 adoptions.
We have two dogs with broken legs sitting in kennels. A dog who came to us skin and bones, who is now healthy and happy but still waiting for a home. Puppies who were dumped on the side of the road and are now growing up behind kennel doors.
This is not what we want for these animals. Saving an animal doesn't end when Animal Control picks it up or it is left at the shelter. It doesn't end when the veterinarian treats its injuries. It doesn't end when we open a kennel door and give it somewhere safe to sleep.
It ends when that animal has a safe, loving home.
And right now, there simply aren't enough homes.
Our staff are exhausted. Our rescue partners are overwhelmed. Shelters everywhere are struggling with the same reality.
If we discuss euthanasia, our staff receive death threats. If we limit intakes because we have nowhere left to put animals, our staff are cursed at. We are expected to provide unlimited space, resources, and medical care, even though we do not have a veterinarian on staff. We are expected to find a solution for every animal, every situation, every day. But we cannot fix a community-wide problem from inside the walls of a shelter.
One of the best things about owning a pet is that you are not required to have one. Pet ownership is a choice, and with that choice comes a responsibility to provide proper care, containment, identification, and veterinary attention for the animal's entire life.
A bigger shelter won't fix irresponsible pet ownership. Euthanasia won't fix it. More kennels won't stop unwanted litters. Only responsible pet ownership and a community willing to help can begin to change this.
Please contain your pets.
Please microchip them.
Please spay and neuter.
Please adopt.
Please foster.
Please help us prevent animals from entering shelters in the first place.
And please understand that when you thank us for saving an animal, we are still fighting to save it long after the emergency is over. We care deeply about these animals. We celebrate every recovery, every adoption, and every second chance.
But we cannot keep doing this at the rate animals are coming through our doors.
We need help. We need change. We need our community.
