Abandoned Dogs, Cats Create County Crisis
Posted on: Mar 11th, 2010 | News and Announcements
The opening of a new, expanded animal shelter for Mobile County has exposed a brewing crisis of care for Mobile County's animals: more than 8,000 dogs and cats will be abandoned this year, far exceeding the capacity to get them adopted out. "As a community, we have to take seriously our responsibility to spay and neuter our animals," said Mobile County Commission president Merceria Ludgood. "We can't have this explosion in the animal population without creating health and safety risks - for us and for the animals." The numbers on abandoned animals are gleaned from the first nine months of operation at the new Mobile County Animal Shelter, which opened in April of 2009 in a $1.6 million facility at 7665 Howells Ferry Road. Fact: An average of 31 animals come into the shelter each work day, either dropped off by county residents or picked up by animal control officers. Fact: A record 4,700 animals were relinquished by their owners to the County Animal Shelter in the first 11 months of the shelter's operation last year, primarily because owners couldn't afford to take care of them. Fact: Of the abandoned animals, 2,004 of them were adopted out of the new shelter in the nine months of operation last year, meaning that the shelter is likely to adopt out more than 2,700 animals in its first 12 months of operation. Spay and Neuter Several efforts are underway to help county citizens contain the animal population, starting with reduced costs on spaying and neutering for shelter animals. A non-profit, citizen-based organization has organized to help the county shelter. Called MARCO, or Mobile Animal Rescue and Community Outreach, it is working with local veterinarians to provide the affordable spaying and neutering as well as other essential medical services. The local veterinarians who are partnering with Mobile County for the various services are Drs. Jeni Knizley, Lynne Leonard, Jared Mitchell, Scott Owens, and Christopher Rehm. In addition, MARCO has helped organize an educational campaign and has started fundraising and providing in-kind provisions for the shelter's animals. Other efforts by Mobile County to deal with the animal over-population include enhanced adoption efforts that include out-of-state adoptions, educational outreach to schools and organizations, and a foster care program to find sick animals temporary homes until they can be adopted out. Citizens also volunteer at the shelter. Mobile County is required by the state of Alabama to be the animal control agency for the unincorporated areas of the county. That means it is required to take in all abandoned animals - whether picked up on the streets or turned into the shelter by county residents. "It's an essential mission in two ways," said Ludgood. "We want to protect people from abandoned animals that may be sick or aggressive, particularly if they are running in packs. But it's also the humane thing to do because abandoned animals face starvation and disease on the streets." Persons interested in joining MARCO or volunteering with the county animal shelter should call 574-3647 or visit online at www.mobilecountyanimals.com