Animal shelters in Grays Harbor saw huge numbers of cats and dogs adopted, struggling with limited resources to keep up with a need that far outweighs capability, as well as a spread of outreach events for the health of county animals.
The numbers come in a time when needed adoptions nationwide are ever-growing, straining shelters across the county to the breaking point, according to a news release from North Beach PAWS.
“Congested dog and cat shelters mean we are not able to get the cats and dogs that need a safe place to go into our facility in a timely manner,” said North Beach PAWS Vice President Carol Jamroz in a news release. “The majority of our intakes are malnourished, and many have untreated, often severe, medical conditions. The community has been great in responding to our appeals to help with the worst cases and we have reached out with spay/neuter, vaccination programs, and food assistance to try to help pet owners keep their companions healthy.”
Bottlenecks in adoptions mean it can be tricky to find space for incoming animals to go, Jamroz said, resulting in space not being available for animals in need to being taken in. Dogs are the largest part of that bottleneck, requiring more physical space and more resources for an adopting family than cats, said PAWS of Grays Harbor Executive Director Anna Boeche.
“We saw an increase in cat adoptions but the dog adoptions are still low. That is a nationwide trend,” Boeche said. “We’re crowded. It always seems like when start taking intakes in from our wait list, emergencies start walking in the door.”
North Beach PAWS helped adopt out about 500 cats and more than 120 dogs as well as relocating more than 200 animals to partner shelters with higher adoption demand. PAWS of Grays Harbor had about 550 total adoptions of both cats and dogs, Boeche said, up from last year’s number of about 500.
“We went for almost a year without puppies and we are suddenly getting a lot of puppies,” Boeche said. “What did surprise was our average shelter stay for both cats and dogs is better than we expected. It looks good.”
While some dogs and cats have relatively short stays, others are there for longer, sometimes months at a time, waiting for someone to take them in, Boeche said.
North Beach PAWS experimented with a number of avenues to bleed off overpressure, according to the news release, including reducing feline adoption fees, working with Best Friends Animal Society and Petsense for adoption events, and fundraising for the planned shelter expansion. North Beach PAWS also hosted a sold-out fundraiser dinner recently, bringing it back for the first time since COVID.
“Although lower than usual adoption rates resulted in fewer dog and cat intakes in 2023 compared to 2022, North Beach PAWS saw an increase in the number of sick and injured cats and dogs for which the shelter was able to provide emergency veterinary services,” the news release said.
A pair of vaccine clinics saw North Beach PAWS vaccinate and microchip more than 300 animals, according to the news release, in addition to enabling medical services or providing food for hundreds more animals. PAWS of Grays Harbor didn’t hold any vaccination clinics, Boeche said, but they were able to provide more than 6,000 pounds of food for local pets, supported by more than 150 volunteers who provided more than 2,600 hours of service to the shelter.
PAWS of Grays Harbor is also facing a heavy year of medical costs for animals before they’re adopted, Boeche said, and has temporarily put a halt to plans to expand as it focuses on its core mission first.
“Inflation has hit hard so we have to put a pause on our expansion decisions,” Boeche said. “Our goal is to have longevity. We want to make sound financial decisions.”
Boeche praised the team, as she closes on her second year as the shelter’s executive director.
“I love this job. I think a big part of that is because we have a staff that is top notch, that give everything,” Boeche said. “It’s a cohesive team. I’m really proud of them.”
Contact Senior Reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@thedailyworld.com.
