St. Tammany Animal Services is in urgent need of adoptions and fosters for dogs at their overcrowded shelter. Program specialist Alex Coogan says they’re sounding the alarm for animal lovers in the area to help these dogs find a new lease on life. Otherwise, 50 or more of the canines being housed in the animal shelter will need to be euthanized and that’s something Coogan is trying desperately to avoid.
“We’re in trouble. We have over 202 dogs in our inventory but we can only comfortably house 150. By ‘comfortably house’, we mean that we can provide humane care and handle the same standard of care we expect of ourselves at 150,” she emphasized.
Unfortunately, the need for good homes is already dire and Coogan says the influx of animals coming into the shelter is not showing any signs of slowing. “So many owner surrenders are happening. The reasons people are giving range from ‘not enough money’ or ‘not enough time’ … even divorce,” notes Coogan. She went on to stress that the shelter is already overcrowded and there have been over 100 additional owner surrender appointments set for dogs in the next couple of months alone.
Coogan notes that anyone interested in adopting one of the many animals in need can actually do a 10 day trial sleepover to see if the fit is right before diving into the commitment of a full adoption. She also says the dogs selected for adoption are thoroughly vetted by specialists.
“We have an awesome enrichment team out here and they do a temperament test on each and every animal to make sure they’re well-suited for our adoption program. We’re not going to send an animal to a home that we’re not comfortable with. We have everything for everyone,” Coogan went on to add.
You can view the potential pets up for adoption on Facebook or on St. Tammany Government's official website.
With shelters overcrowded, many adoptable dogs face euthanasia soon
With shelters overcrowded, many adoptable dogs face euthanasia soon
