Animal shelter numbers decline

Camden totals drop by nearly half in six years.

KINGSLAND — Six years ago, nearly 4,000 strays and unwanted pets were dropped off at the animal shelter managed by the Humane Society of Camden County.

Last year, the number dropped nearly in half, to 2,163 animals.

Deborah Clark, manager of the shelter, cited several reasons for the dramatic reduction in the number of animals that go beyond spay/neuter campaigns.

Clark said surrounding counties have established shelters in recent years, a move that has been a big help. In the past, residents from other counties would drop off pets in Camden County because there were no animal shelters where they lived.

Sometimes the cats and dogs were dropped off in a sparsely populated rural area of the county to fend for themselves until they were captured or died. In other instances, shelter employees showing up to work in the mornings would find a dog tied to the fence or a litter of kittens in a box.

Another factor that has helped is a policy established several years ago requiring pets to be spayed or neutered at the shelter before they can be adopted.

Rescue organizations from outside the region are also adopting pets from the Kingsland shel- ter, Clark said.

“We have a lot more rescuers willing to take some of our animals from us,” she said. “It’s been a big help.”

The reduction in the number of animals has made it considerably easier on staff, especially when tough decisions have to be made about the fate of animals not adopted. Clark said as many as 70 percent of the animals in the shelter are now adopted, rescued by an organization outside the county or returned to their owners.