LOUISVILLE, Ky. — At Louisville Metro Animal Services (LMAS), hundreds of adoptable dogs and cats are desperately waiting for their forever family. But space is so limited, it is a matter of life or death.
When space runs out, tough decisions must be made about which animals are most likely to get adopted.
"Animals lives are at risk. Animals will not make it out of the shelter today because of overcrowding, because of the amount of stray pets that are coming in. There are animals right now that won't leave the shelter alive,” Stephanie Jackson, LMAS public information officer, said.
It’s the harsh reality for shelter staff who must make lists, naming pets who are considered urgent or at-risk. Those lists ultimately determine which dogs might be euthanized.
"You get your staff favorites and if your staff favorites get on the list -- it’s devastating,” Jackson said.
Those difficult days are becoming more and more frequent, according to staff.
"The math just doesn't add up. We're taking in too many pets and not enough are leaving. February, we had record adoption numbers, the highest number of adoptions we've ever done in the month of February just last month and he we are, already full again," Jackson explained.
To cope, the shelter staff stay focused on adoptions, and celebrating the wins. The day Tivali got adopted was a big win, after 368 days in the shelter.
"They advocated for him. They gave him a shot. They never gave up on him,” Leea Lanham said.
Lanham found Tivali on social media after a major push to share his story and find an adopter.
"When I saw the post, it really spoke to me. I wasn't looking for a dog but he's so perfect. I just wanted to give him a chance."
She adopted him that day and that leap of faith likely saved his life.
Tivali was considered an urgent and at-risk dog. He needed a home without other pets, or an adopter who was willing to work with him on a slow introduction. Oftentimes, those barriers make a dog more difficult to adopt because many families won’t even consider them. For Lanham, that’s a hard pill to swallow.
"I've got emotional a few times. It’s really hard thinking if I didn't give him that chance, he wouldn't have had it,” she said. "He's the best thing that ever happened to me. He's my boyfriend and I's best friend. He's a great dog. He's the light in our life. He's amazing.”
Tivali returned to the shelter for the first time this week, two months after he was adopted. He was eager to jump into the arms of the staff members who had loved him and cared for him during his year-long stay.
“Seeing him so happy and hearing Leea say all of the rights things about helping him, it’s awesome, it feels really, really good”, Jackson said.
Tivali’s story is inspiring, both to staff and to us at WHAS11. We want to help more animals find their forever family because we know there are so many others sweet dogs, in need of a second chance.
This week, WHAS11 is starting a new segment called WHAS11 Shelter Stars. Every Thursday, we will feature a large dog currently at LMAS considered at-risk or urgent. That includes the dogs desperately needing to get out of the shelter before they are put on a list.
We know adopting is an option for everyone, but there are plenty of other ways to help.
Here's two things you can do right now that could make a difference for a shelter pet:
- Find LMAS on social media and share the organization's posts. This could include pictures of adoptable pets, current needs at the shelter, or volunteer opportunities.
- Become a shelter pet advocate. Pick a dog at the shelter and become their champion. Visit them at the shelter and take them on walks, make fliers for them to share on social media, and give them affection while they wait for their forever family.
You can see dogs available for adoption here.
LMAS Animal House Adoption Center is open every day from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 3516 Newburg Rd, Louisville, KY 40218.
Shay McAlister will be introducing you to a new dog every week in our WHAS Shelter Stars series. You can watch on WHAS11 News at 4 every Thursday.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
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