Pet shelters and rescues try to grapple with overcrowding
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Roughly 13,000 animals entered shelters and rescues each day in 2023 across the nation and the need for more pet foster families is at a high, according national rescue group Best Friends.
Melody Whitworth, director of Unchained Melodies Dog Rescue, said besides a new litter and mom they took in over the weekend, the rescue has been at capacity for well over a month.
"As far as large dogs, we haven't taken one in and in a month," Whitworth said. "We have a couple here that have been ready for foster homes for a few weeks and we've been posting and sharing and reaching out to volunteers, we just need more space, we need more foster homes, otherwise, we just can't keep going."
The Central Missouri Humane Society also said on its social media last week that it was having issues with space.
Unchained Melodies finds dogs foster homes while they await a new owner. They are also an anti-chaining, anti-penning, anti-abuse and neglect organization fighting for stronger animal laws.
Whitmore said a majority of the dog cases come from families.
"It truly is a national epidemic right now with the people rehoming their own family pets," Whitworth said. "Rescues and shelters are all maxed out and people continue to request rehoming their dogs."
Whitmore said that on Tuesday, they had someone come into the office with a 1-and-a-half-year-old dog wanting to surrender it because they just had a baby and didn't have the energy to keep up.
"They're tired and they just want to give it away and we offered them all kinds of resources training, you know if they would foster it, we would help rehome it," Whitworth. "But, instead they went down the road to the Humane Society to just drop it off. It's quite sad."
The need for more foster families continues to grow as more animals are given away or abandoned.
"We understand that people are busy and some people can't foster, especially if they've already got a lot of animals, but, without foster homes, rescues, they can't continue because where do you put the animals? You know, they're on the side of the road, they're living in the woods, they're out there starving and freezing to death," Whitworth said.
Whitworth said Unchained Melodies has gotten a lot of requests from other shelters, rescues and even good Samaritans trying to get these dogs some homes. Whitworth said it would be a huge help if those good Samaritans were willing to keep the dog in their house for just a little while.
If the rescue can't help the dog, it will suggest other places to bring the dog or fostering until they can step in and help.
"We still return every single phone call and at least try to offer them something so the dog doesn't end up out in the woods, starved and frozen," Whitworth said.
There are many resources in Columbia that people can utilize before deciding to surrender their dogs.
"Family pets should be forever," Whitworth said. "There are so many resources, especially here in Columbia, available food, free spay and neuter services, free training services, all of it, but people have got to be responsible and reach out to those resources and figure out how to keep their pet."