SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Shreveport-Bossier animal shelters are over capacity, and many cats and dogs need homes. If they’re not adopted, they could be euthanized.
Shari Wood, the Superintendent at Bossier City Animal Services, says the facility typically holds up to 100 animals, but they currently have a little over two hundred. Due to the overcapacity at the shelter, Wood says they cannot take in strays or those wanting to surrender their animals.
“We hate that we can’t just bring them all in, but we have to have a place to house them. And if we don’t, that means somebody has to be euthanized to make that space.”
Caddo Parish Animal Services also shares the same plight. Just last month, they received a little over 500 animals. Director Travis Clark says that’s a lot of animals for the size of their shelter.
A nationwide campaign called “Clear the Shelters” to encourage people to adopt from their local shelters is coming in August. The program helps to stop overcrowding, clearing up space for stray animals in winter.
“And so if we don’t make that space, we can’t take those animals in, and so they may die of starvation on the street; they may freeze to death on the street,” says Wood.
Caddo and Bossier make it easier for one to adopt by having all of their animals spayed, neutered, and up to date with vaccinations. According to Clark, the highest number of adoptions their shelter has seen in one day is 38.
Wood says irresponsible backyard breeding, as well as the lack of spaying and neutering, contribute to pet overpopulation. Wood says they need the community’s help to find good homes for them.
