As frigid temperatures continue in the Commonwealth, officials with Rowan County Animal Control have been hard at work to keep lost pets and strays safe and warm.
In the last month, 46 dogs and 20 cats were brought to the shelter, outpacing the number of adoptions and transfers. As the shelters consistently remain at full capacity, they said preventative steps are crucial so these domestic are kept out of danger.
Kim Adams is the Animal Control Officer for Rowan County. She said the first thing someone should do if they see a domestic animal like a dog left in the cold is to call Animal Control. Once they get the call, rescuers get to the animal as quickly as they can. She said it can take some time after-hours, and it’s a big help when people can keep these animals warm until Animal Control arrives.
“Some people aren’t comfortable with dogs, and some people are, and we don’t want to see anybody get hurt. But I mean, we appreciate the people that have kept dogs safe until we’re able to get them. Like, after hours, they’ll let them into their garage or their bathroom until we can get them,” said Adams.
The facility takes calls for dogs that appear to be lost or stray to get them out of the cold and wet weather. Adams said they do not take stray cat calls because the shelter is already at maximum capacity, but they accept cat and dog surrenders.
She added Animal Control does what it can, but it’s up to pet owners and community members to help mitigate overpopulation.
“The amount of puppies that people are trying to surrender that we can’t take because we don’t have space. If they just get the moms and the dads spayed and neutered, there would be a whole lot less animals in shelters,” said Adams.
Rowan County Animal Control is open every day from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Any other time, animal control reports can be made through the county’s non-emergency police line.