The final tally of adoptions that The Animal Shelter of Texas County was involved in during 2012 was almost 100 higher than in 2011.
TASTC either directly adopted out or assisted in adopting out 623 animals last year, up from 527 the previous year. The total (a calendar year record for the facility) included 523 dogs (up from 415 in 2011) and 100 cats (down from 112).
TASTC president and founder Rita Romines said the results have both good and bad ramifications.
“It shows the level of need we have here for the shelter,” Romines said, “but it also shows the success of the shelter.”
TASTC manager Marsha Martin said the big numbers aren’t even a true reflection of the size of the problem.
“The need is probably double that number,” Martin said. “We turn animals away all the time or reschedule them to come back in a week because we’re always so full. It’s a constant, continual battle.”
Assisting in an adoption means that one shelter either shipped a dog or cat to another shelter that was then adopted, or in some other way helped an animal find its “forever home.”
“A lot of what we do involves networking with other shelters or rescues,” Romines said, “and there are a lot of really good ones we work with.”
As of the end of last week, TASTC had already adopted out several dogs and cats in 2013, and was in the process of shipping animals to multiple locations, including St. Louis, Kentucky, and California.
“We’re off to a flying start,” Martin said. “It really comes down to spaying and neutering. That always has been and still is the biggest issue we face in this field. It’s just critical that people have their pets spayed or neutered.”
Romines said another discount spay and neuter clinic hosted by TASTC for Texas County citizens is in the planning stages.
The shelter is a nonprofit organization that is not affiliated with any government entity and receives no government funding. Representatives indicate that tickets are still available in TASTC’s biggest annual fundraiser, the You Lucky Dog 52-gun Raffle.
For more information about spaying and neutering, the raffle, or any other shelter-related issue, call 417-967-0700.