March 28, 2024

Place for paws

Maintenance needs, animal overpopulation put strain on Clarke County Animal Shelter

Clarke County Animal Shelter needs help, and on two different fronts — maintenance on the building to pass inspections to stay open and dealing with an influx of cats and dogs.

The animal shelter’s building needs to have the dog floors sandblasted and cleaned. The lowest bid they’ve received for this project is $4,000. That needs to be done before inspection in March.

“That’s going to be a huge chunk of change we’re not used to coming up with,” said Joy Durham, manager of Clarke County Animal Shelter.

Another problem is gravel needs to be put around the outside of the building again. Gravel can wear over time, but it’s important because it holds heat in and keeps rodents out.

Inside the building, the office needs to be repainted and other parts need to be “freshened” up.

Supply donations have been good, which is important so extra money can go toward paying regular bills.

Adding it up

Durham said, during the summer, the air conditioning bill for the cat rooms and office was more than $600 a month. Trash service is $275 a month.

Durham said the only guaranteed monthly funding the shelter gets is $2,000 from the city.

“So, when you start figuring all that stuff in, you know, $600 just for a light bill, it just kills us,” she said.

Clarke County Animal Shelter is a 501(c)(3), which means there can be tax write-offs for it.

Durham said they would love if there could be donated gravel or if there was a donation to help sandblast, paint and seal the floor. This would also help prevent the spread of disease. Funding in the amount needed could be given if a business or person would like to help.

Supplies such as bleach are important, but cash would be more helpful right now.

Overpopulation

Maintenance is an issue, but animal overpopulation is also a major problem at the shelter.

“Cat numbers are usually high, but the dogs have been terrible, too. Like, strays and stuff like that,” Durham said.

A little kitten can’t be spayed or neutered until it’s at least four pounds. When the shelter receives kittens, sometimes they can’t leave for almost three months. This ties one kennel up for that lengthy time period.

The shelter has had adult cats that have been housed in the building for many months, too.

“Without the adoptions, we can’t circulate to take in more cats,” Durham said. “But, it’s not just us. The ARL is getting killed with it. Kiya Koda in Indianola is overflowing with cats.”

At Clarke County Animal Shelter, cats are only $25 until Dec. 31.

Dogs

While an influx of cats might have been expected, a rise in dog numbers was unforeseen, especially throughout the summer.

At the time of the interview, there were three open kennels, and the shelter is obligated to always have two open kennels for law enforcement to use.

“The dogs we’ve been getting in aren’t puppies, they’re adults,” Durham said. “… They’re our hardest to place because people want the puppy, because they’re cute. Sometimes the adult dogs just need a little bit of work, but they’re great animals.”

Durham wanted to thank the people of Clarke County for all they have done to help maintain the shelter.

“We appreciate all the community support and what an amazing community we live in,” Durham said. “Without the donations, whether it be items or monetary, we would not be able to run the shelter or help animals and families in need.”