These were the sick, the injured, and the extremely scared pets. As the first week rolled on and the shelter filled up, nightly security patrols noticed animals moving through the devastated streets, looking for some sign or scent of home. As each was apprehended, they were taken to Joplin's animal shelter to be photographed, inventoried, and listed on the agency's website for their owners to find them. In the first week following the storm, apprehensions were easier-animals were seeking their owners and food. Louis, sent a rescue squad to assist other volunteer groups in apprehending dogs and cats that were injured and found loose in the debris. The Humane Society of Missouri, based in St. Many groups and municipalities close to Joplin volunteered early to transfer stray animals out of the Joplin Humane Society in order to make room for the hundreds of owned pets they expected to find wandering in the rubble. There is another list that will not be kept, except in the minds of some Joplin residents and the local Animal Control-the list of missing household pets. At last count, more than 150 people lost their lives in one of the most deadly single tornado events in our Nation's history. That list has been finalized, and all persons have been accounted for. The Missouri State Highway Patrol took over the task of finding and verifying the status of persons reported missing due to the storm. Minshew said Carthage Humane Society also partners with rescue groups, but her experience is that many of them are asking her if she can take in animals as often as they are removing them from the shelter.Like a scene from a movie with an apocalyptic scenario, the neighborhoods of Joplin, Missouri were leveled by an EF-5 tornado on May 22nd. "It helps keep those numbers in check a little bit." "We move out as many animals as we can to these rescues, but spaying and neutering is big," Fisher said. Half of them are euthanized or die in the shelters of old age, and it's just heartbreaking."įisher, at the Joplin Humane Society, said they're fortunate enough to partner with rescue organizations that help them move animals out of their shelter regularly. The ASPCA says 6.5 million animals go into shelters every year and only 3.2 million go home. and we'll get a dozen calls a day, people wanting to surrender animals. "We only take animals from the animal control officer in Carthage and Jasper County because we have nowhere to put them. "We're closed to public intakes," she said. Minshew said the much smaller Carthage Humane Society shelter has been full for more than a year and can't take in animals that people want to surrender. We have everyone call over there, and it's much more economical than going to your vet." "We refer them to Joplin Humane Society because they run the spay/neuter clinics pretty often. "We don't have anything to offer the public as far as spay/neuter ourselves," Minshew said. Renee Minshew, director of the Carthage Humane Society, said the veterinarian who normally served her animals retired at the end of 2022 and that while another local veterinarian has stepped in, that person can't be at the shelter often enough to offer spaying and neutering services to the public. Not having to deal with those hormones makes for happier, healthier pets." "Male dogs can get testicular cancer and female dogs can get mammary tumors and other severe health issues such as pyometritis, which can be potentially fatal. "It helps with long-term health issues that can affect your pet," she said. "By spaying and neutering, you help control the population."įisher said spaying or neutering has benefits for the pet as well as the owner. "Spaying and neutering is extremely important for a number of different reasons, mainly because there is an overpopulation of unhomed pets throughout the United States," Fisher said. Fisher said people can sign up for the clinic at Fisher said the Joplin Humane Society is full constantly, with 302 animals in its care at noon Thursday. Pet owners can have their pets fixed at their veterinarian at a cost of $35 to $500, depending on the size of the animal, or they can sign up for the Joplin Humane Society's spay/neuter clinic, which costs $50 for dogs and $35 for cats. The Joplin Humane Society and Carthage Humane Society are pushing awareness and encouraging pet owners to spay or neuter their pets during February, which is National Spay/Neuter Awareness Month. That last part is the key to reducing the problem of stray dogs, feral cats and animal shelters bursting at the seams.
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