We have a real problem in Hawkins County with stray and abandoned dogs and cats.
Not just our county but the whole United States. Each day we receive more and more calls and more and more messages about animals that need to be brought to the shelter.
What are the reasons? We feel there are many. People cannot afford food and vet care for their animals.
Animals are not being spayed and neutered.
We’re told: I am moving tomorrow or I am having a baby.
One of the most common reasons? “My landlord is making me get rid of my animals or we will be evicted.”
Whatever the real reasons are, it is getting worse every day with no end in sight.
We have reached out to other shelters and many rescues to see if they can take on some of our animals here at the Hawkins County Humane Society.
They all respond, “We are in the same boat.”
It is just heartbreaking. I see the emotional toll this crisis is taking on everyone in rescue, including staff. I have seen the staff have a complete emotional breakdown, tears streaming from their eyes and ready to just walk away.
Why? Because there is no end in sight.
We have seen rescues shut their doors. No Kill shelters euthanizing for space. We are not there yet, and we have worked so hard to get to where we are as a No Kill shelter.
But when do we become part of the problem? Stacking crate after crate. Adding more dogs per kennel, more kittens to a cage already full.
Is that a life that these animals deserve? No one is adopting. We offer specials, we have many people sponsor animals. But no one comes.
We have never had to do this before, but like other shelters we have to close our intakes until we adopt some animals out.
This is going to make many upset. Of course it bothers us as well, because we have no clue what will happen to those we have no choice but to turn away.
We are asking finders to let us post animals they find, to hold onto them until we have space.
We always scan for a chip and post on our page with hopes of finding an owner.
Please spay and neuter your pets. This will help tremendously.
Our dog capacity is 37 and we have 55 dogs at the shelter. Some in wire crates stacked everywhere from the lobby to the meet-n-greet, and our storage rooms. They get walked several times a day, but that is still no life for any animal.
We have 62 cats, many being kittens with several to a cage. All of us in the field of animal welfare are struggling physically and emotionally. We are definitely in a crisis.
If you would like to help by adopting a pet or making a contribution, please call the Hawkins County Humane Society at 423-272-6538 or visit the shelter in person at 5180 Highway 11W, Rogersville.
You can learn more by emailing info@hawkinscountyhumanesociety.org.
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