Animal shelters in the Grand Strand area faced challenges in 2021 and are expected to grow in 2022

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – The words restless and difficult are used by two animal shelters in Grand Strand to describe 2021.

Kind Keeper Animal Rescue and Grand Strand Humane Society say they have seen an increase in adoptions over the past year.

“We’ve been extremely busy all year, Leanne Dornseif, Marketing and Events Coordinator for Kind Keeper. “We always stay busy here so we had almost 1,000 adoptions for the year which is amazing.”

While shelters have been busy with adoptions, they have also seen an increase in the number of animals returned.

“It seemed that the people who stayed home to work during the pandemic, and who are now returning to work, didn’t really have time for the animals they adopted,” Jessica Wnuk, Executive Director of the Grand Strand Humane Society mentioned.

Dornseif said “the phone rings every day asking us to take more so we always have our hands full with that.”

The goal for 2022 at Kind Keeper’s is to start building a new shelter they need.

The Grand Strand Humane Society said 2021 was a tough year for them too. Shelter officials had to move their animals to a new temporary location at Tanger Outlets on Highway 501 due to damage to the Mr. Joe White Avenue facility in Myrtle Beach.

“At the moment, our goal remains to find a land where we can build our future facility,” said Wnuk. “Of course we want to be under one roof again. Being separated with our cats in one place, our dogs in another, and our clinic in a third place is difficult to say the least. “

Wnuk said she was grateful for the communities’ help this year.

“We relied on our community in many ways, and they behaved for us as they always do, and we were able to continue our mission,” she said. “We have never stopped welcoming animals.