‘You will be saving a life,’ local shelters urge adoptions amid influx of animals

DANVILLE, Va. ( WFXR ) – Animal shelters are seeing huge influxes of animals, so much so that the Danville Area Humane Society said they have seen an almost 20% uptick in euthanasia at their shelter in 2023, and they expect that number to rise more this year.

The Danville Humane Society. as well as the Franklin County Animal Shelter said they’re overwhelmed by the volume.

“We’ve been lining our hallways with crates, we’ve been putting dogs together when we can. We’ve been trying to do everything we can to help get the animals out as they’re coming in,” said Stephanie Wright, a shelter attendant at Franklin County Animal Shelter, “It seems like every adoption we get, one or two strays are coming in.”

Just last week, the Danville Humane Society said it received 15 kittens in just 15 minutes. This isn’t a new problem, shelters have seen a rise since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic. Also, more people are surrendering pets because of the rising cost of living.

“Spaying and neutering. Reducing the number of unwanted and stray animals is the only way to solve the problem,” said Paulette Dean, the Executive Director of the Danville Human Society.

Even though adopting a shelter animal might sound scary and costly, both Dean and Wright agree it’s the most rewarding thing to do.

“Sometimes people get scared of shelter pets thinking that something is wrong with them- there’s not. We have so many amazing animals here,” said Wright, “it’s a blessing that a lot of people don’t realize.”

“When you come to a shelter, and you adopt or foster, you will be saving a life,” said Dean.

If you’re interested in adopting or fostering, you can find both organizations on their websites and social media.

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