Shelter has more than 100 dogs; kitten season comes early for humane society

As of midweek, the Richland County Dog Warden & Adoption Center had 117 dogs.

Of those, 76 have been taken in this month. It’s been a hectic time.

“In one week, we had 26 dogs come in,” Dog Warden Missy Houghton said.

Houghton said an ideal number would be in the 60-70 range. She said the shelter averages between 90 and 110 dogs.

“It’s been that way for the past couple of years,” Houghton said. “It will spike at times.”

The most the shelter has ever had during her tenure is 142.

“We do have a lot of pending adoptions, if they go through,” Houghton said. “We’re still really high.”

When numbers get too high, that affects staff, food supply and volunteers.

“We can deal with it, not well,” the dog warden said. “The dogs don’t get as much time out as they need. It’s just a strain on everybody.”

Kitten season has started early this year

At the Humane Society of Richland County, kitten season has arrived a bit early.

“We have kittens in 15 foster homes,” Director Linda Chambers said. “That means 60 to 65 kittens will come back.

“This is supposed to be only the start of kitten season. This is crazy.”

Chambers said kitten season normally runs through October, peaking in June. The humane society doesn’t put kittens up for adoption until they are 8 weeks old. A foster will keep them until they are 8-10 weeks old.

“The kittens that are that young get adopted quickly,” she said.

That has not been the case for the humane society’s dogs, at least lately.

“We’re in a big-time slump with dogs,” Chambers said.

Not helping the situation is a recent case in which humane agents removed 10 dogs, including a mother dog with four puppies.

Employees have been dealing with grief as well due to the recent deaths of a dog and a kitten.

“We will do everything we can to get them adopted,” Chambers said. “When they don’t make it out of here, that’s what makes you sad.”

Anyone interested in adopting a pet from the humane society can visit adoptourstrays.com or stop by 3025 Park Avenue West. The hours are noon to 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; and noon to 3 p.m. Saturday.

The humane society is closed Sunday and Tuesday. For more information, call 419-774-4795.

Houghton said female dogs generally go into heat only twice a year, so the shelter is not inundated with puppies.

“When it gets warmer and doors start being left open, we might get an uptick,” she said.

The dog shelter is planning to have extended hours May 20, which is Natural Rescue Dog Day. Houghton said a food truck might be on hand.

The special event will be held in conjunction with My Dog Shelter Friends and Down Dog Yoga & Lifestyle Center.

Hours at the dog shelter are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The shelter is closed Sunday and Monday.

People also can call 419-774-5892 or stop by 810 N. Home Road.

Plenty of potential pets are available at both facilities.

“If you’re looking to add a new member of your family, now is the time, between us and the dog shelter,” Chambers said.

mcaudill@gannett.com

419-521-7219

X: @MarkCau32059251

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