Morehouse, Mo., dealing with influx of stray dogs

MOREHOUSE, Mo. -- Benji, a sandy-colored dog who loves attention and has a lot of energy, lacks a home.

"He's a cute little dog," said Pete Leija, mayor of Morehouse. "Kids just love him, and he's a good dog."

For now, the city pound is home for Benji. Recently, a number of stray dogs have been found in Morehouse. Leija said dogs are usually kept at the pound about two weeks then taken to the Humane Society, but those kennels are full.

"Right now, we're keeping them longer than we normally do, and that is really just because we have no place to take them," Leija said. "Most of these dogs are friendly enough to make good pets and are adoptable, but I don't think it's known they are available."

Morehouse resident Cindy Bradshaw is helping get the word out about the need for permanent housing for the dogs. She helps take pictures of the dogs and posts the photos on bulletin boards at businesses in the Sikeston, Mo., area.

"It gets a pretty good response," she said. She said that last year, when the city ran into the same problem, a home was found for all the dogs.

The cause of the influx of stray dogs is unclear, officials said.

"I guess just a lot of people don't want their dogs anymore, for some reason or another," Leija said. "Maybe people are moving and leaving them behind, or just scared they might not be able to afford to take care of them."

Bradshaw said the problem may be that too many dogs are not spayed or neutered, because many of the dogs that have been found are young.

"I believe all dogs should be spayed and neutered, unless you are a breeder," she said. "There are just so many dogs out there that need a home and need to be loved."

Recently, there have been several times the dog pound in Morehouse has been full or over capacity.

"We just don't have the means to be able to take care of any large quantity of dogs," Leija said. "We're running really tight, and if things keep up how they've been, we'll either have to make ourselves some larger pens or more pens."

The two urged anyone looking for a pet to look first at a local pound, such as the one at Morehouse.

"There are always animals that need homes," Bradshaw said. "They're loving animals and just need someone to love them."

Anyone interested in adopting a stray dog can call Morehouse City Hall at 573-667-5251 to set up an appointment to view the animals. For those who want to help but are unable to adopt a dog, donations are also accepted.