Animal Shelters Nationwide Overrun, Calling for Owners to Spay and Neuter Pets

Bowling Green, KY, Jun. 27, 2024 – Animal shelters nationwide, including the Bowling Green-Warren County Humane Society, are coping with an unprecedented surge in surrendered pets and stray litters. Shelter directors and staff members, who are operating with limited resources, have detected a disturbing increase in the demand for their services over recent years.

Rising Intakes Straining Shelters

Lorri Hare, the director of the Bowling Green-Warren County Humane Society, has witnessed this alarming shift firsthand. She stated, “In the entire 25 years I’ve been here, I’ve never seen intakes the way they’ve been probably in the last 18 to 24 months. It’s not just here; every shelter countrywide is struggling. Unfortunately, we can’t adopt or rescue our way out of this situation.”

Despite a recent three-day Code Red adoption event that saw 103 adoptions, the shelter took in an additional 79 animals in a single day, overwhelming their facilities again. The resources necessary to maintain such a high influx can be quite daunting, particularly when they receive entire litters of young animals.

The Cost of Caring for Shelter Animals

“We have to vaccinate, spay or neuter, deworm, flea and tick treatment, and microchip every single animal that comes through the door. So, it’s roughly $300 worth of medical procedures per animal. Then we adopt them out for much less,” Hare explained.

While every intake animal has its circumstances, Hare revealed that the majority surrendered are from unspayed or unneutered pets. To overcome this, the Humane Society offers discounted spay and neuter services and resources for locating similar programs in surrounding areas.

A Call to Action

Hare emphasizes the urgency of community action to spay and neuter pets, particularly cats and dogs. “We can build an extensive, state-of-the-art facility, but it’s still going to be full in a month, with the same amount of adoptions and rescues,” she said. “We need to control the over-pet population.”

The Bowling Green Warren County Humane Society, along with 14 other community animal shelters, is launching an ‘Empty the Shelters’ event commencing July 8 and continuing through July 31. Hare urges potential pet owners to consider adoption before any decisions and ensure their homes can accommodate a 15-year commitment to caring for an animal before adopting.