Anderson animal shelter is overcrowded and calls for help

ANDERSON, Ind. – An Anderson animal shelter is calling for help after several “hoarding” discoveries threatened their ability to provide services.

The Animal Welfare League recently rescued 21 dogs from two cases of local hoarding in less than 24 hours.

Director Maleah Stringer called the first case “one of the worst hoarding situations” she has seen in her ten-year career.

“Probably over 100 degrees in the house because there was no air conditioning and all windows were closed. The house was covered in feces and urine. The ammonia smell was out of the ordinary, ”she said.

APL saved 14 dogs from this house. They are small mixtures of terriers between one and seven years old.

The next day, APL received seven more dogs from a nearby hotel after the owner left for three days.

“If we have another dog coming now, I don’t know where we’re going to put it. We are currently in survival mode. We are in crisis, ”Stringer said.

The pandemic has brought some relief to the small shelter, with more and more people adopting and feeding animals. But now the conditions are getting worse. APL has around 100 dogs with only 52 built-in kennels. Many are placed in portable cases.

Stringer said saving these dogs is like putting a band-aid on the problem – it’s only a temporary solution.

“I think it’s time to look at this as a systemic problem and try to fix what is causing it, because it’s not just an animal problem. It’s about people and it’s not just in this community, it’s all across the country, ”Stringer said. “I think we’ve ignored him for so long that he’s grown so huge it’s overwhelming.”

Stringer said they’re always on the lookout for more people to adopt, host, volunteer and donate, but unfortunately that’s not enough to solve the problem “because for every animal adopted, you know, five to ten more are coming, ”she said. .

Situations like theirs can also lead to the defeat of shelter workers and rescuers.

“We expect our animal rescue specialists to take over to fix this problem and we cannot. We are tired. Even though we work hard and as many prescriptions as we change and as many sterilizations and sterilizations as we do, we don’t feel like we make a difference. It’s a never-ending hole, ”Stringer said.

She said something that would help is better enforcement of animal ordinances.

“We need to control the backyard farming that is rampant here. If you enter this shelter, you will see 70 percent or more pit bulls. It’s not because everyone loves the breed. This is how the people of this community earn their money. We have dog fights here. We have people who just don’t understand pet ownership, ”Stringer said.

Newly arrived dogs still need to be checked, vaccinated, spayed and neutered. Many are also in need of dental care due to lack of prior care.

Click here to learn more about volunteering or giving to the Animal Protection League.

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