LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Every Thursday, WHAS11 News brings you a shelter star, a dog at Louisville's Animal House waiting for someone to adopt them. But this week, it's not about one dog, but hundreds in the overcrowded shelter, where staff are making tough decisions on how to make room.
We were there as Elijah Harris walked out with his first rescue, Lager. He'd been at the shelter before, but this time, it clicked.
"He's awesome. He's fluffy. We're having a baby, so I think he's going to be great," Harris said.
Lager's one of the lucky ones.
Louisville Metro Animal Services' (LMAS) Animal House, off Newburg Road, is at a breaking point with its intake.
"The thing people don't realize is the scale of dogs we're working with," Allen Gerlach, the kennel supervisor said.
They take in over 8,000 in a year.
Just this month, LMAS has taken in more than 400 animals. More than 170 were adopted. At least 53 were picked up by their owners and 83 pets were sent to a foster family.
But there's another group -- at risk of not making it out at all.
"We start the day with maybe 5-10 open kennels," Gerlach said. "That would be considered a good day."
That doesn't last long, when the daily intake is 15-20 new dogs and when the shelter runs out of space, staff turn to a euthanasia list.
"Dogs that have minor behavioral issues that are not quite adoptable, those are the first to be put to sleep," Gerlach said.
On Tuesday, Gerlach said LMAS put down eight dogs.
Their quirks can be as simple as a dog who doesn't like to be restrained, skittish around strangers, or barky behind a fence.
"These are great dogs who would love companionship and to be set up for success," Gerlach said.
But it's no secret a shelter's scary and loud, and staff are overwhelmed.
"How a dog's going to act here isn't how they'll act in a home setting; a dog is very scared, spends more of its day in the kennel with not much interaction, and when a dog's like that for several weeks, you see a decline in mental health," Gerlach said.
Gerlach said the shelter relies heavily on volunteers to give these animals the fresh air they deserve, and a temporary home.
"He was my first foster and he couldn't have been a better dog," Marcie Prather, an LMAS volunteer foster, said.
WHAS11 was there the moment Prather handed over 'Winston' to his forever family, the Edelen's.
"My kids really missed a dog that likes to snuggle, and he'll be a good fit for that," Janie Edelen said.
If your home is already full of furry friends, there are other ways you can help combat overcrowding at the shelter:
- Make sure your pet's microchip information and collar is up to date.
- Keep cats inside and keep dogs in a leash or within a secure fenced-in area.
- Spay and neuter your pets.
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