INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — The Jackson County Regional Animal Shelter in Independence says it’s at capacity this winter and has been that way for a while.
“We are at capacity currently,” said Christina Heinen, the director of Health and Animal Services for the city of Independence, which oversees the shelter. “And we’re often over capacity, especially when it comes to dogs.”
All 99 of the shelter’s spots for dogs are full.
“We still have a ton of cats that are in foster that are just waiting for those spots to open up because the dogs have taken over those spots where the cats normally would be,” Heinen said. “[The numbers] kind of meet that lull there in the winter. That has not happened for the dogs this year.”
The shelter was exactly at capacity on Monday morning, but that number fluctuates above and below 99 daily.
“It really surprises me how many animals are here and how many come in a day,” said Antonio Hart, a volunteer with the shelter. “Like, four or five a day is still a lot.”
The numbers he’s focused on are the hours spent getting to know the animals.
“They’re loving companions, they’re caring companions and they have feelings too,” Hart said.
But it’s not that simple. Heinen says there are various causes she’s seen that explain why people no longer want their pets.
“It’s everything from the housing crisis, people are no longer able to have that dog, take it with them to their new home,” Heinen said. “They’re struggling on trying to get that done. There’s almost people that are struggling with the economy.”
However, she does say there are solutions the public can take part in.
“What we’re asking is that they can do everything they can to try to find that owner of that animal first before they bring it here to the shelter,” Heinen said.
She also suggests asking Facebook groups or neighbors if they recognize an animal before bringing it to a shelter.
Heinen says people are also unaware of the services the shelter offers that could make keeping an animal easier, like teaching owners how to walk with loose leashes.
The capacity issue is one she says is a team effort that will ultimately take greater numbers to solve.
“We want to be able to help as much as we can, but we just can’t right now,” Heinen said.
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KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel.
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