Rapid City, South Dakota (KEVN) – Animal shelters across the country have seen an increase in pet handovers in recent months. Especially when it comes to human best friends.
Rapid City is immune to this phenomenon due to the Black Hills Human Society’s hit capacity.
According to various news outlets across the country, more and more pet owners are surrendering their four-legged friends.
“There are more dogs in shelters,” said Jerry Stainley, executive director of the Black Hills Humane Society. We are starting to see more surrenders and we are starting to see more puppies and more dogs.
Pandemics, inflation, and housing issues are all reasons animal shelters and humane societies are increasingly abandoning their property rights.
“I think there are many reasons and all of these are the perfect storm of what’s going on. I think there were a lot of spay/neuter surgeries that weren’t done during COVID and that’s where we’re starting to see puppies.” I don’t think there are that many good housing options for people right now and I’m seeing animals unloaded by people who can’t find a place to live with them. ‘Stainley continued. “It’s hard. We don’t have a lot of money to spend and animals are expensive.”
As an open admissions shelter serving about 20 counties, the Black Hills Humane Society has only 94 kennels.
“We have about 100 dogs under our roof, so we have a lot of them. “There is,” Steinley said. “Right now we have an adoption program and we encourage people to consider it. and then, as you can imagine, working with other shelters that are now almost full. I’m trying, but it’s a constant project.”
Despite the influx of human best friends, Steinley reminds people that shelter is still open to those in need.
The Humane Society of the Black Hills is open daily from 11am. It’s also open on New Year’s Eve if you want to ring in the New Year with your furry family.
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