The abandoned pet crisis has prompted county executives in Jefferson County, Missouri to ask nonprofit ADOPT, short for Animals Deserving of Proper Treatment, to submit a proposal for a new county animal shelter.
County officials decided to explore the construction of a new animal shelter after the Missouri Department of Agriculture ordered the county to stop its animal euthanasia activities. The state department became alarmed after journalists reported that the county was using narcotics for euthanizing animals without any supervising veterinarian. The county was also previously warned about the drainage systems for its outdoor kennels.
Cathey Break, head of the ADOPT, said that the animal shelter efforts of neighboring Saint Charles County can be a model for Jefferson County. In 2009, the Saint Charles animal control center has euthanized only 805 animals out of the 4,160 it received. It has given 2,149 animals for adoption and has returned 768 pets to owners.
In contrast, the Jefferson County animal center has euthanized 1,901 animals out of 3,827 it has received. It has given only 372 pets for adoption and has returned only 369 pets to owners.
In nearby Saint Louis County, out of 3,872 abandoned pet animals received, 2,105 were euthanized, 1,096 were adopted and 375 pets were returned to owners.
Among the three counties, Jefferson County has the lowest budget for animal control, which is only around $350,000. Saint Charles and Saint Louis operate on $900,000 and $775,000 respectively. Because of budget constraints, Jefferson has only 46 dog kennels and cat cages. Saint Charles has 136 and Saint Louis has 165 of these animal cages.
The proposal being crafted by Break of ADOPT requires cooperation from big donors and professionals and from the county. She proposes to gather donated services from engineers, architects, general contractors and other volunteers and big donations from prominent people like Cardinals manager Tony La Russa. She also plans to lease 1.8 acres of county land for one dollar a year.
Previously, county officials asked for a new shelter that can accommodate 30 cat cages and 40 dog kennels on land adjacent to the Hillsboro juvenile detention center. The existing county facility in Barnhart can house only 30 cat cages and 16 dog kennels.
Saint Charles County spent around $1.6 million several years ago to construct a new abandoned pet shelter in an accessible area and was able to cut down its euthanasia rate from 80 percent to 20 percent. Jefferson County hopes to duplicate its success.