Animal Shelters in Dallas Overwhelmed by Pets

Posted by sharon

Animal shelters in Dallas are now overwhelmed by pets, just like most animal rescues and shelters in other parts of the country. Because of financial difficulties and foreclosures, more pets are being abandoned and more families are bringing in their pets to shelters.

The services center of the Animal Guardians of America in West Dallas, which took in more than 7,700 cats in 2008, no longer has space and funds for additional pets. At its website, Animal Guardians has announced that it is no longer able to accept pets.

Steve Hurst, a volunteer at Animal Guardians, said that it is not easy refusing animals brought in, but the center no longer has space for more pets. He said he has to advise people asking for help to bring their pets to other shelters where their pets may have to undergo euthanasia.

Hurst added that the Animal Guardians center in Celina, which houses big black dogs, is also full. The dogs are not easily adopted because many adoptive owners are not comfortable around black dogs, which have been associated with bad experiences in literature.

Animal shelters in Dallas and in other cities have been struggling because of the sharp decline in private donations and government funding. Their situations are especially difficult because they lack funds at a time when they are operating more than their capacities.

Camp Wolfgang, a big animal rescue facility for German shepherds just outside Ennis, Texas, closed in October because of lack of funds.

Because of animal shelter closures and difficulties, the city shelter Dallas Animal Services had to accept more than its capacity of 750 animals. Now, it is currently housing about 900 animals and trying its best to hold more.

However, according to Jonnie England, director for animal advocacy at the Metroplex Animal Coalition who works with Dallas Animal Services, the Dallas center has to shorten its holding period for animal adoption from several months to 45 days. He added that although animal adoptions have increased to 22 percent, the percentage of animals being reclaimed by owners because of lack of adoptive owners has also increased.

Meanwhile, James Bias, head of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Texas, said that the Texas center is full and it only takes in animals when it has available space.

At Operation Kindness in Carrollton, director Sherwin Daryani is hoping that animal adoptions and donations to animal shelters will increase in the coming months as more animals are being brought in.

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