PAWS filling up with litters of strays

♦ The shelter’s rescue and adoption arrangements are complicated by the pandemic.

At Public Animal Welfare Services, the summer and early fall is known as “puppy and kitten season” due to the large number of litters they receive.

Because of the warm temperatures, animals are breeding more than usual. According to Director Jeff Mitchell, the facility is currently full and they’ve been working hard to organize transports to rescues out of state.

“As soon as we send some out, we fill back up,” he said. “We have a major stray population here in the county, and with people not spaying and neutering, we’ll always have a stray population.”

“We just did a transport last week of 50-something animals and within two days, we filled back up,” Mitchell said.

They try to do around four to six transports to outof- state rescues a month. Many of these transports go to northern states, where the stray population isn’t as bad as it is here.

“Unfortunately there’s not enough adopters around, so the transports are where the bulk of the animals go,” Mitchell said.

He estimates that they sent out around 100 animals last month alone. Right now, they’re averaging about one transfer a week. Before the animals leave the state, they have to go through vetting to make sure all of their shots are up to date and that they’re healthy enough to travel.

“By the time we rent a van and load up the van and get everything together, it’s about a week,” Mitchell said. “We usually send anywhere from 30 to 60 animals a transport, depending on the location.”

While the director has been working on organizing transports, he has also been reaching out to local PAWS partners to see if they would be willing to host an adoption event soon. However, many places are hesitant because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re in the process of setting up a couple of them, but none of them have been finalized,” Mitchell said.

The only adoption event they have confirmed in the coming months is Howl-oween with the Rome-floyd Planning Department and Friends of the Dog Park on Oct. 22 at Ridge Ferry Dog Park. There will also be a discounted vaccine and micro-chip clinic at the event.

The shelter at 99 North Ave. is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Olivia Morley Clockwise from above: Naraja, a 26- week- old kitten, is available for adoption at PAWS, which is currently at full capacity. Ears, a 3-year-old shepherd mix, is up for adoption at PAWS, 99 North Ave. The facility is open to visitors from 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Saints, a 23-week-old female cat, is ready for adoption at PAWS. Lacey, an adult bulldog mix, is looking for her forever home at PAWS