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Toccoa-Stephens County Humane Shelter staff member Sonya Loudermilk seems to be covered up in cats. In reality, these felines are just a few of the cats now residing at the humane shelter. Shelter director Jeff Roberts said this week there are more than 200 animals currently housed at the shelter – a building and program designed to care for only 150 animals.
For the first time in its more than 12-year history, the Toccoa-Stephens County Animal Shelter has waived the $100 adoption fee for adult dogs.
The reason for the waiver is the result of too many dogs.
Shelter director Jeff Roberts said the shelter is overcrowded, currently housing more than 200 animals while its capacity is 150.
“It’s the adult dogs that are more difficult to place,” Roberts said.
The over-capacity problem has caused the shelter to, in some cases, house two dogs and cats per pen or house dogs in covered areas outside.
“We’ve got to get creative when we have a challenge as big as this,” Roberts said.
He said that “a couple” of dogs also had to be euthanized last week to free up space.
Roberts said the adoption fee would be waived until 30 dogs are adopted.
However, he called waiving the adult dog adoption fee a “two-edged sword” because that also results in some $3,000 in lost operating revenue.
“We are staff and budgeted to care for 150 animals maximum and we need the community to adopt animals, volunteer and help provide financial support for increased operating costs and to cover the lost revenue for waived adoption fees,” Roberts said.