AURORA, Mo. (KY3)—Aurora Animal Control is desperate for help as its shelter is overflowing with dogs. Officers are asking the public to help prevent more dogs from entering the system.
“I want to say post-COVID, everything just blew up. I mean, nobody could get their dog spayed or neutered, and the economy has been going up ever since then. That’s when I saw things really step it up. I used to send a lot of dogs to rescues because our adoption rate is so low, and now they’re full, too. Everybody is,” said Annie McHenry with Aurora Animal Control.
McHenry says since other rescues are full, she often has to keep dogs longer or send them to shelters that could euthanize them, something no one wants to do.
“I have one dog here, for instance, Bird. She’s been here a year, and she’s just the sweetest thing you could ever meet,” said McHenry. “And then we’ve got River. He’s been here six going on seven months. He and Sanga, and he’s a large male. Males are hard to adopt out for whatever reason.”
McHenry encourages anyone looking to add a dog to their family to check their rural shelter. It’s not just Aurora. Many rural shelters are overflowing with animals right now and are often low-cost.
“Look at your rural pounds first, and then go to rescues. Don’t buy a dog. I’ve seen so many breed dogs in pounds and shelters: Dobermans and poodles and Labradoodles, all the favorites, and they’re in these big humane societies, being euthanized for no reason other than there’s just no room for them. But the main thing is to check out rural pounds. Rural pounds get overlooked a lot,” said McHenry.
Adopting a dog from the Aurora pound costs only $25. The dog comes with a certificate to get spayed or neutered. The pound is also looking for fosters.
If you already have a dog, McHenry says everyone should work to keep their dogs contained so they aren’t mistaken for strays. They should also get them spayed or neutered so no unwanted puppies are out running around.
“There are resources out there. You’ve got to follow up on them and get it done. It’s a lot easier to spay and neuter your pet than it is to try to rehome 8, 12, or 13 puppies. So it’s kind of a no brainer, just got to get it done,” said McHenry.
As McHenry said, resources such as SAAF in Springfield, the Humane Society, and SNAP are available.
If you’re interested in adopting from the Aurora pound, you can reach out here.
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