“In a five day period, we got 19 of them,” Canfield said.
Lydia Crawley
The Parsons Advocate
A recent surrender of multiple dogs from a home in Thomas has left the Tucker County Animal Shelter several times over normal capacity, according to Tucker County Animal Shelter Director Stacey Canfield. Canfield informed the Tucker County Commission of the overcapacity situation during the Commission’s August 28th meeting. “Our numbers have been crazy,” Canfield said. “More so focused on dogs then anything.”
Most of the dogs involved in the situation have come from a surrender in Thomas, according to Canfield. “As most everybody knows, there was a situation in Thomas where multiple dogs were found in the home.”
Canfield said 19 dogs were surrendered in five days. “In a five day period, we got 19 of them,” Canfield said. “On top of us having five dogs in the shelter.”
The additional animals have left the facility over capacity, according to Canfield. “So, we are way over capacity in the facility itself,” Canfield said.
According to Canfield, the shelter has an optimal capacity to house around eight. “So if you have been there, you know that we have the capacity to house eight safely and ideally,” Canfield said.
Newly constructed kennels have allowed for larger areas to house additional dogs, according to Canfield. “You get a little bit of leeway on the new side, thankfully, because we have expanded the kennels that were there into two larger ones instead of four smaller ones so you can house a couple more animals to a kennel,” Canfield said.
Canfield said other kennels do not offer as roomy accommodations. “Right now, unfortunately, we have five in one kennel and four in another and then individual dogs in the other six in the other side,” Canfield said.
Canfield said the animals that have come in have been friendly and adjusted to the new environment well. “Thankfully, the groups the came in are friendly,” Canfield said. “They had no other choice with the circumstance that they were brought to us from other than to get along with each other and multiple other dogs. So we are very, very happy about that.”
According to Canfield only two females have been combative and have led to measures to reduce resource guarding to reduce fighting among the two females. “But unfortunately with them being housed so closely together, we noticed today that they are starting to fight,” Canfield said. “We have two, specifically two tan females, they were jumping on each other immediately of being placed together. So we had to pull all toys, all resources, they could potentially guard over each other, simply because we don’t have anywhere else for them to go right now. So, just trying to make it safe for them until we can get some kennels put up.”
Canfield said new flooring has been installed in the shelter. “The new floors were put in and they are amazing,” Canfield said. “They are super nice to clean. They are super nice for the dog’s traction. It brightened the entire facility up. It looks like a facility when you walk in there.”
The main focus for the shelter is new kennels, Canfield said. “Now our main focus is the kennels,” Canfield. “We have a good foundation on the main side…with cinder block walls. Those are perfect. Good to clean, good to keep dogs quarantined from each other and separated. “
Canfield said her staff is trying to determine the best way to utilize the space for kennel space. “Now its on the main, wide open side, when you first walk in,” Canfield said. “We’re trying to look at the most cost effective way and the safest and cleanest way to get some good kennels put up in there, ideally that we could put five to six dogs in, but we just need more than two apartments. That’s what we call them are ‘apartments.’”
Prior to meeting with the Commissioners, Canfield said she and County staff had spent five hours disassembling and reconfiguring kennel panels, as well as pressure washing concrete pads. “We spent about five hours taking kennels down and refiguring them,” Canfield said. “We pressure washed the back pad and got new kennels put up outside.”
Canfield said the main problem she faced was how to get all the dogs outside play time with so many in the facility’s care. The solution, Canfield said, has been to rotate groups in and out of the exterior kennel area. “So the problem that we ran into today was when we broke them down outside to bring them inside, where do we turn them out to have some outside time?,” Canfield said. “Currently in our care we have 31 dogs,” Canfield said.
Canfield said the facility is hoping to transfer 20 cats that are 3 months and older next month to a partner organization. In August, five dogs were transferred to partner organizations and one of the five was adopted within two days. “We’re really grateful for that,” Canfield said. “Everyone across the State, across Maryland, if you reach out Marion County, especially right now is being hit really, really hard with overpopulation. Its a statewide crisis.”
Canfield credited her staff with keeping the shelter going during the crisis. “I have to give credit to staff,” Canfield said. “We have been running off of two part-time employees who are supposed to be there five hours a day and the amount of work that is required in that five hours a day is unreal right now. Its exhausting and they are working well over their hours because we haven’t had a choice.”
In order to meet County requirements, Canfield said the employees would be looking at working a couple of days a week towards the end of the year.
Tucker County Commission President Mike Rosenau thanked Canfield and her staff on behalf of the Commission for their hard work and dedication. “On behalf of the Commission, I want to thank you for all you do for the animals of this County and for us,” Rosenau said. “And I mean that.”
