Animal shelters are seeing record number of cats and dogs in house

The overflow is putting a strain on everything from the workers to the food supply

CLAY COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- Taking in and caring for rescues is what animal shelters do, but the task has become overwhelming as shelters are seeing an increase in pet surrenders.

The overflow is putting a strain on everything from the workers to the food supply. Animal shelters across the area are overflowing with dogs and cats, many have been left by people they once knew as family.

“The owner surrenders are coming from a home and being loved, and then thrown into a shelter environment so they do the worst here, it’s the hardest on them. It breaks our hearts the most because they don’t come in here and thrive,” said director of Clay County Animal Shelter Neely Bryan.

Bryan said shelters around the country are seeing the same influx of animals. Clay County’s animal shelter can hold 70 cats and 70 dogs, and right now they’re at the maximum number of cats and over nearly 20 dogs.

Bryan said that they’ve seen those numbers climb over the last two years.

“I’ve heard that for two years dogs weren’t getting spade or neutered during COVID, lots of vets were shut down and lots of dogs were adopted during COVID and now there’s tons of returns,” said Bryan.

Increased in dogs and cats leads to less pet food. Cat food hasn’t been too much of a problem but finding and getting dog food is a challenge.

“We work with a rescue bank from the greater good so I drive up to Memphis and will get like two pallets of food from up there and so then we mix it with the base food that we use,” said Bryan.

Bryan encouraged people contemplating surrendering their animals to reconsider keeping them or perhaps finding them another family that is able to keep them the care they need. She said helping to control the population is something all pet owners can do.

“The number one most important thing that we can do for the animal kingdom and the lesson the suffering on planet earth is to spay and to neuter,” said Bryan.

Bryan encouraged people to adopt, volunteer, or donate to help their local animal shelters.