SEMO Pets holds dog clearance event

There's a problem at animal shelters this summer.

Too many dogs need homes and not enough adoptions are taking place.

Southeast Missouri Pets, 180 Weston St., in Cape Girardeau, offered to adopt out canines at least 6 months of age for no charge in a program that ended Sunday, July 23.

Dogs younger than 6 months could be adopted for $50.

"It's not just Southeast Missouri Pets, but every shelter we know of. Everybody is seeing animals flowing out of the windows, so to speak," said Charlotte Boyce Craig, president of SEMO Pets' board of directors.

"We've always been full, but not to this extent. The good news is, several dogs who'd had a hard time being placed found homes, but our intake shelter is still full."

SEMO Pets executive director Jenn Farmer said on the organization's Facebook site that a gift from Bissell Pet Foundation made it possible for the no-cost adoptions.

"They've been microchipped, brought up to date on shots and spayed and neutered," she said.

Drilling down

According to Humane Rescue Alliance in Washington, D.C., animals are now sitting in shelters for longer stretches of time than at any time in the past four years.

HRA CEO Lisa LaFontaine told www.pbs.org that the intake of animals in her organization is up 4%, but animal adoptions are down 10%, partly the result of the toll inflation has taken on household budgets.

"Maybe they lost their job or something has happened and they ask us to take the animal back," said Mirah Horowitz, director of Lucky Dog, a Virginia-based rescue not-for-profit.

"We try to work with those folks to figure out another solution, but sometimes they feel there's nothing else they can do given the economy."

Success

Craig said 23 canines were adopted out from SEMO Pets on Friday, July 21, under the no-cost drive and 46 departed Saturday, July 22, with new owners.

SEMO Pets, formerly Humane Society of Southeast Missouri, may be reached at (573) 334-5837.