‘It’s a big problem’: St. George Animal Shelter sees hike in dogs; many on growing waiting list

Written by Mori Kessler
February 7, 2024

ST. GEORGE — Whether due to financial issues, an inability to find pet-friendly housing or other reasons, the St. George Animal Shelter has seen an increase in dogs to the point they can’t accept any more until the shelter’s current occupants move along through adoption or other means.

Luna, a 10-month-old female Husky, is one of the dogs housed at the St. George Animal Shelter that shelter staff are hoping to find a new home during February by cutting adoption fees in half. The shelter recently reached capacity and cannot accept any new dogs until the ones at the shelter start moving, St. George, Utah, Feb. 5, 2024 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

“I think it has a lot to do with the economy,” April Jewell, St. George Animal Services shelter supervisor, said Monday. “People are struggling to afford things and it’s getting tough to hold onto the animals.”

As with food and services in general, the cost of pet food and veterinary care has risen with inflation over the last couple of years. For some families, this has resulted in having to choose between providing for themselves or the costs associated with keeping a family pet.

“We’ve had a lot of owner-surrenders recently as well as strays, so once we get full it makes it difficult for us to help more people that are in need,” St. George Animal Services supervisor Cathy Freitas said as she stood next to Jewell, while holding on to a leash connected to Luna, a 10-month-old female Husky .

“She’s energetic,” Freitas said of Luna, who is up for adoption. “A classic Husky. She’s really super playful and gets along with other dogs.”

The St. George Animal Shelter currently hosts a variety of adoptable dogs, the majority of which appear to be mixed breeds that are medium to large in size.

St. George Animal Shelter recently reached capacity and cannot accept any new dogs until the ones at the shelter start moving, St. George, Utah, Feb. 5, 2024 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

In an effort to increase the likelihood Luna and other dogs will be adopted, the St. George Animal Shelter is cutting adoption fees in half for some dogs while also waiving fees for the dogs that have been there the longest. Dog adoption fees are typically $60 and cover having the dogs spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped.

The “Be My Valentine” adoption offer runs through Feb. 29.

It is hoped that the offer motivates people to adopt the dogs, because until that do, the shelter has to turn away people attempting to surrender their own dogs, Freitas said, adding there is a growing waiting list of pending pet surrenders to the shelter.

The lack of space and a growing waiting list has left Freitas and Jewell encouraging people who want to surrender their dogs to re-home the dog themselves through talking to family and friends and posting about it on social media before approaching the shelter.

“It would help us if they are able to do it on their own first,” Freitas said.

Fostering a dog or having “sleepovers” with a potential adoptive family to see if a dog is a good match are also options, Freitas and Jewell said.

One of the dogs housed at the St. George Animal Shelter that shelter staff are hoping to find a new home during February by cutting adoption fees in half, St. George, Utah, Feb. 5, 2024 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

The St. George Animal Shelter is not the only place dealing with an increase in surrendered, stray and potentially abandoned dogs.

The Humane Society of Utah recently told the Deseret News that shelters are seeing more dogs abandoned and surrendered than cats due to housing issues. This is due to it being easier to find rentals that allow smaller pets over large-breed dogs.

“It’s a big problem right now,” Jewell said.

Anyone interested in visiting the animal shelter and meeting the dogs can call 435-627-4350 to make an appointment. The shelter is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

A gallery of dogs and cats currently available for adoption can be found on the animal shelter’s Facebook page.

The St. George Animal Shelter is located at 605 E, Waterworks Drive just around the turn by the Washington County Water Conservancy District.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mori Kessler serves as a Senior Reporter for St. George News, having previously contributed as a writer and Interim Editor in 2011-12, and an assistant editor from 2012 to mid-2014. He began writing news as a freelancer in 2009 for Today in Dixie, and joined the writing staff of St. George News in mid-2010. He enjoys photography and won an award for photojournalism from the Society of Professional Journalists for a 2018 photo of a bee inspector removing ferals bees from a Washington City home. He is also a shameless nerd and has a bad sense of direction.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @MoriKessler@STGnews

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