Amid national reports of overcrowding at animal shelters—because too many families are finding it more difficult to afford taking on new pets—at least one shelter in the Twin Cities reports a different problem: finding enough people to help take care of those pets once a family takes the pet home.
Mary Tan with Animal Humane Society in Golden Valley said Minnesota typically does better than most other states when it comes to families adopting and then keeping dogs and cats long-term.
“A lot of families in Minnesota really consider pets as family, so you don’t find the surrender rates typical of other states and other parts of the country,” said Tan.
She said the main issue they’re having is having enough veterinary technicians employed to be able to offer the necessary care for those families to rely on as affordably as possible.
“Currently, we have a lot of issues in terms of hiring,” said Tan. “They’re just not out there. We’re trying to find people to come take care of our animals.”
Animal Humane Society recently started its very own vet tech training program to help develop staff members to work at its shelters in Golden Valley, Woodbury, and Coon Rapids, along with the low-cost clinic in St.
Paul. Tan said the program has its first class of four people working toward becoming vet techs for the organization.
““We are really focusing our efforts on keeping people and pets together,” she said. “Unfortunately we’re taking in fewer animals from southern shelters simply because of our staffing situation.”
