Many Of Jackson County’s Shelter Dogs Get Forever Homes, Others Still Hopeful
JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. — Jackson County Animal Shelter faced the heartbreaking prospect of having to euthanize dogs on April 3 because the shelter had more dogs than its capacity could handle.
The participation of the shelter staff who went above and beyond the call of duty, help from the community, and the willingness of residents to home the dogs, means the problem was almost completely averted in just four days. But more dogs are still looking for good homes.
Community Rallies To Give Jackson County’s Shelter Dogs A Second Chance
Jackson County Health and Human Services said on Wednesday that the shelter had been housing 120 dogs since Tuesday and was unable to accept or maintain any more dogs. The usual capacity of the Jackson County shelter is around 90 dogs at any given time.
Jackson County Health & Human Services director, Stacy Brubaker, said that the shelter simply had no more space to still accept or maintain the high number of animals. She said the shelter would waive adoption fees through April 14 for all dogs to “clear the shelter.”
Only two of the dogs from Wednesday’s group that were ready to adopt were still left by Sunday. Mike Slusarczyk, Jackson County Animal Enforcement Supervisor, confirmed that their staff had made a concerted effort to make sure were taken care of, and could be moved along. He said that while the progress is exciting, the shelter is still only halfway there. Many more dogs are still going to be coming through their process.
Brubaker gave a huge shout-out to the staff who worked diligently to try to get the dogs where they needed to be, the community, and the agencies that took dogs to the people who adopted them. She said it was great to see the care and effort taken for the dogs.
Jackson County Shelter Dogs Still Need Forever Homes
Currently, there are about 50 dogs who will need homes but who first need to be spayed or neutered before they can go out for adoption. The shelter indicated that it is waiving its adoption fee through April 14th and asks people to come in and see the dogs.
Community members were asked in the press release to adopt available dogs if they had the resources. This includes time to exercise, socialize, and train the dogs, as well as the ability to provide basic health care. Pet owners were asked to make sure their animals wore identification so they could be reunited promptly if they got lost. Outdoor enclosures and fences should be secured to minimize the number of pets reported lost and taken to the shelter.
The shelter has encouraged local law enforcement agencies to contact animal services in the county at 541-774-6654 before delivering animals to the shelter. They also request as much information as possible to allow shelter staff to help connect lost pets with their owners. Brubaker said, “We are asking folks to do what they can to make sure that their dogs are kept safe and contained so they don’t get out or need a visit to the shelter.”
She also confirmed that unfortunately, euthanasia rates will increase when the shelter is that much over capacity. Slusarzcyk confirmed that the list of dogs available for adoption changes all the time and encourages people to visit the shelter to see the dogs.
A list of the dogs currently available for adoption from the Jackson County Animal Shelter can be found here.