St. Charles County Department of Community
Health & The Environment
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, April 18, 2001
CONTACTS:
John Carpenter, Deputy Director (636) 949-7387
Adult Dogs Available Now
County Urges Citizens Consider Adult Pets as an Option
St. Charles County - Spring is bringing the traditional increase in stray and unwanted dogs to the St. Charles County Pet Adoption Center. The center currently has a record number of pets, including a serious overabundance of adult dogs, available for immediate adoption. Adult dogs are traditionally hardest to place. Puppies and smaller dogs are often adopted within 48 hours of being made available. Larger adult dogs can take several weeks. With the sharp rise in incoming animals, the Pet Adoption Center is now full. The facility also has a good selection of cats available in addition to the dogs that are awaiting adoption. If the adult animals are not adopted soon they will have to be euthanized. Employees at the pet adoption center would rather see these pets go to a good home.
The Pet Adoption Center places some animals into foster homes and others are placed with humane groups that are willing to search for homes for these potential pets. "These foster parents and humane group partners are extremely helpful," according to John C arpenter, the head of St. Charles County's Division of Humane Services, a part of the Department of Community Health and the Environment. "Unfortunately, at certain times of the year the large number of animals coming into the center overwhelms our ability to place all that are potentially adoptable." Carpenter further urged all pet owners to spay or neuter their animals to help reduce the population of unwanted pets.
According to Gil Copley, the county's Director of Community Health and the Environment, "The current problem with an overabundance of adoptable animals is a direct result of the success of the Pet Adoption Center." The center, which opened late in 1999, has not only performed the more traditional animal and rabies control activities, but has become a source of pets for thousands of St. Charles County residents and families. The center's goal is to adopt out every animal that is adoptable. Unfortunately, this has sometimes been impossible.
"We are constantly meeting in order to find additional ways to increase adoptions," stated Carpenter. All adopted animals are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and have an identification microchip inserted under their skin. The cost of adoption is $30.00. Animals may be viewed weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
The Pet Adoption Center serves St. Charles County through sheltering and adopting animals, providing pet owner education, animal control services, and investigation of incidents involving animal cruelty and neglect. The St. Charles County Pet Adoption Center is located at 4850 Mid Rivers Mall Drive, three miles south of Highway 70 across from St. Charles County Community College. For further information about pet adoption services in St. Charles County, call 636-949-PETS (7387) or visit the Department of Community Health and the Environment website at www.scchealth.org.
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