Are Animals Put Down At Montgomey County Animal Shelter

Its been a hectic ii years at Montgomery County Beast Intendance & Command.

Pre-pandemic, the shelter was overcrowded and looking to rehome animals equally quickly as possible to avoid having to put them down. And so, COVID-xix hit and things changed.

During the early months of the pandemic, pet euthanasia rates plummeted in Clarksville and across the country as residents were fix to adopt while working from home and quarantining. The Montgomery Canton animal shelter was most empty at one point due to adoptions.

Now, officials say the overcrowding that plagued the shelter before COVID-nineteen is returning. Many owners have relinquished pets as they are returning to work in-person or just simply may not exist able to afford the toll of animal ownership.

Despite an increasing euthanasia rate, the staff is working to observe creative ways to get resources to owners, so they tin can keep their pets and the shelter can go its numbers down.

How does a shelter decide which animals to euthanize?

Information technology'due south based on the animal's health, behavior and if the animal could be considered a liability to the community if adopted, according to Montgomery County Animate being Control Director David Kaske.

"Every brute is assessed when it enters the shelter and while it is being held for its stray hold menstruation," he said. "Other factors besides make up one's mind the outcome of each animal from its behavior history: has information technology bitten some other animal or person, was it acting in ambitious manner, tin can it exist handled without restraint, etcetera."

Pandemic impact: Goals to decrease numbers

It'due south been a abiding chess game in trying to maneuver animals out of the shelter and into loving homes, thereby decreasing population and euthanasia rates each month, Kaske said.

"From trying to get animals to rescues, other shelters and (placed) through adoption services, there are several factors that determine the numbers," he said. "However, since the pandemic started, we take been battling with other rescues beingness full or overpopulated and unable to accept our dogs and cats. (Nosotros've as well been) struggling getting animals that have been adopted spayed/neutered at local veterinary clinics."

Kaske recalls tracking downwardly euthanize rates in recent years. In 2018, the salvage rate was around 63%, and this past year, it was 89%. He said the pandemic put a damper on the shelter'due south adoption strategies.

"As people are going back to work, animals started getting returned back to the shelter," he said.

'Nosotros do any we tin to assistance:' Supporting animal owners

Routine veterinary care, grooming and other bones needs for a pet can become costly, so the shelter makes an effort to support pet owners with suggestions and resources to assistance offset or lower those costs.

"We exercise any we can to assistance," Kaske said. "We sympathize many of us autumn on hard times and are but able to not care for pets any longer or provide them with the life that they deserve."

The facility shouldn't be the first step in relinquishing buying. It should be a last resort later all other routes have been exhausted, he said.

Check with family members, co-workers, friends or rescue agencies to run into if anyone can temporarily, or permanently, become the new pet owner, he said.

If that doesn't work, "we require a two calendar week atomic number 82 time on all of our possessor surrender appointments," Kaske said, noting that it is a cooling point to possibly reconsider giving animals abroad.

If a low-income resident has a surrender appointment, Kaske said the shelter volition aid supply fauna food and other items to intendance for the pet.

"Nosotros endeavor to requite them options," he said.

In demand of a bigger shelter

In Summer 2020, while many Montgomery County uppercase spending projects roughshod victim to the economical uncertainties of COVID-19, the search for a new animal shelter site was setback.

The topic has non notwithstanding been revisited, and shelter officials say they are currently at square-1.

"We badly need a new shelter," Kaske said. The facility is seeing 18-21 new animals per day, on average, he said.

MORE: Montgomery County searching for new animate being shelter site after setback

From failing air conditioning units to roof leaks, the shelter has spent $60,000 in repairs this year alone, Kaske said. In that location are funds available to purchase land for a new facility, but there isn't anything available at the correct price point.

"Everybody'south buying up every picayune piece of property they tin can get right at present," Kaske said.

So, the staff is making do.

The shelter currently has 150 kennel spaces to provide for large dogs, puppies and cats. Sixty-one of those cages are reserved for stray, ill and/or aggressive animals. At the Fort Campbell Stray Beast shelter location, there are 53 kennels. They are reserved for animal surrenders at Ft. Campbell and overflow at the principal shelter.

Last week, the primary shelter had 5 animals in popular upward kennels in the main hallway, due to overcrowding.

If a pet is found, Kaske recommends bringing it in for microchip scanning. Staff will inquire if the person who constitute the animate being can go on it for a few days, until an owner comes forward, as it helps free upward space at the shelter.

All animals must be neutered or spayed before adoption. Since the shelter does non have a surgical suite, the animals are taken to local veterinary clinics for procedures. In the by week alone, there were sixteen dogs sitting in the shelter that were adopted just waiting for availability at the clinic.

Alexis Clark tin be reached at aclark@gannett.com or 931-217-8519. To support her work, sign up for a digital subscription to TheLeafChronicle.com.

Quarterly euthanasia rates at the Montgomery County Animal Shelter

Throughout 2021, the euthanasia rate has slowly increased as the pet population has grown. All figures provided by Montgomery County Animal Control Director David Kaske.

Quarter ane

From January to March of 2021, 60 dogs and 44 cats were euthanized.

Quarter two

From Apr to June, 173 animals were euthanized, including 112 cats. One of the biggest reasons, Kaske said, is because springtime is considered kitten season. It'due south the time of year when un-spayed female cats have almost of their litters.

Crude guess of quarter 3

From July to September, 65 dogs and 150 cats were euthanized, and those numbers may exist low as they practice not reflect owner-initiated pet euthanasia, Kaske said.

Source: https://www.theleafchronicle.com/story/news/local/clarksville/2021/10/09/heres-why-pet-euthanasia-rates-montgomery-county-shelter-rising/5953171001/#:~:text=Throughout%202021%2C%20the%20euthanasia%20rate,Animal%20Control%20Director%20David%20Kaske.&text=From%20January%20to%20March%20of,and%2044%20cats%20were%20euthanized.&text=From%20April%20to%20June%2C%20173,were%20euthanized%2C%20including%20112%20cats.

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