Find us on Facebook
Follow us on TwitterPacked Lynchburg Humane Society to start charging surrender fee
Jill Nance/The News & Advance
Ghost, a cat up for adoption at the Lynchburg Humane Society, sits in the facility’s front room Thursday. The animal shelter is so full that it will start charging a fee next week for pet owners wishing to give up their animals.
The Lynchburg Humane Society will begin charging for pet surrenders next week in an effort to combat overcrowding and encourage people to make use of support programs available to help them keep their pets or adopt them out themselves.
“What we are doing is asking people to work with us,” explained humane society Director Makena Yarbrough. “We’re saying, ‘We’re full here. Please help us find a home for your pet.’”
Yarbrough noted the humane society is currently caring for about 55 dogs and more than 140 cats — “way too many animals.”
In its search for more space, the shelter has begun housing animals in bathrooms, offices and the front lobby. The humane society is not a no-kill facility, but Yarbrough says it is loath to euthanize animals because of space shortages.
“I think it’s great our staff is willing to take on the extra responsibility of caring for all of these animals, because no one wants to euthanize a healthy animal,” she said. “That’s part of the reason we’re doing this.
“We’re calling it the Be Part of a Lifesaving Effort program.”
Beginning Tuesday, the humane society will conduct pet surrenders by appointment only. This will ensure that staff has time to talk to the owners and attempt to address the problems prompting them to consider giving up their pet.
The society offers several support programs for struggling pet owners. Services include free pet food, counseling on how to correct behavioral problems and discounted spaying and neutering. The society will also help owners find a new home for their pet. Direct placement is preferable to bringing a pet into the more stressful environment of a shelter, Yarbrough said.
If an owner still wants to surrender their pet, a fee of $20 per animal or $40 per litter of kittens or puppies will be charged. That money will be used to offset the cost of animal care. It can be waived in cases of financial need.
“We want to do what’s in the best interest of the animal,” Yarbrough said. “ … We don’t want people to be scared about this. We want to be supportive of pet owners.”
Yarbrough said the shelter will begin enforcing the new policy gradually to allow the community to acclimate. Staff has already been using some of the new counseling methods over the past two months. The shelter saw 281 fewer euthanizations during that period, a year-over-year drop of 68 percent, she said.
“Most people worked with us,” she said. “I think once people start to realize the shelter is not the best place for their pet, that it’s better to find them a permanent home, then they will take those extra steps. Most people want what’s best for their pets.”
In 2008, the humane society estimates that it took in more than 1,300 pets whose owners could no longer care for them. The shelter euthanized close to half of all the animals that came through its doors that year.
Yarbrough said surrender fees have become industry standards among pet shelters, including her past employers in Charlottesville and Richmond. Asked about the possibility that people will simply abandon their pets rather than pay the surrender fee, she acknowledged that was “always a concern,” but said other communities have implemented these charges without seeing an increase in strays.
Reader Reactions
There’s certainly nothing “unfair” about the HSCC’s policies. They’re a private agency - they can do what they want to do.
And I’m a private individual - I can do what I want to do. And rather than try to hack my way through the red tape to get an animal, I’ll go to a breeder, or maybe the pound if I can find the right animal.
Unfortunately, that probably means that the HSCC animal will have to be euthanized. Is that because I’m lazy, or because their application process is too complex in the name of “protecting” the animal?
Sad world, this.
The HSCC requirements for adoption are in now way unfair they are there for the protection of the animal. It’s is their desire to match dogs up with the RIGHT owner that will be a good fit so that the dog will not be returned or abandoned or in any harmed. The requirement for all other animals to be spay or neutered makes perfect sense they don’t believe in more animals coming into the world when we have plenty that need adopting and thats just there stance! For those who truly care for animals and care about the animal they are trying to adopt the adoption process should not bother them and the Fee is to also fair because of the great amount of care the animals are shown before adoption. In my opinion if you’re going to complain about the adoption process you’re plain lazy.
For my part, I’m not “knocking” the HSCC or the volunteer work that they do.
I’m just saying that I’m a person that would like to adopt a dog, but the roadblocks and red tape that is are place, nominally to protect the animal, are a barrier to adoption.
For example, there are hundreds of unoccupied acres surrounding my home, a mile from the nearest road, and generations of dogs and cats have led free and happy lives here; never has one run away or gone near the road.
But to adopt a dog from HSCC, I am required to swear that I will keep the dog locked up or fenced in, which would force me to either lower my and the dog’s quality of life, or lie about my intentions, neither of which I’m willing to do.
But again, there are many sources of adoptable dogs that are not so fussy; and that’s where I’ll be.
This is a Hearts in the right place but wrong Idea senerio. All I see happening is animals getting dumped on the side of the road and suffering. Offering the counsling is great for some but isn’t going to make a difference for other.
ALL the comments about HSCC, The Humance Society for Campbell County really bother me. The HSCC is a non-profit without state funding the organization is run totally by volunteers with on one barely paid staff person who gets paid for far less hours then she actually puts in.
The fees the HSCC have usually include, all shots,spay/neutor, and Microchip which is well above $250, then add in the cost of food,training,etc etc. When you adopt from HSCC, be assured you are getting a dog that has been vetted, and for the foster dogs, have had trainging and more to make sure you and your new pet have a good match, The HSCC asked a lot of questions on thier forms because they invest a lot of time with thier animals especially the dogs, they offer many programs the public isn’t even aware of and have been running a foster program for years where as LHS is just now getting on the band wagon. HSCC’s goals is to make sure as many companion animals they can are spayed/neutor adopting to homes with unspayed/neutor animals goes agaisnt thier basic fundamental beliefs and by-laws. Farther more, HSCC goes beyond the call of duty with thier puppy transport the takes dogs from here to other shelters and rescue organizations who’s spay/nuetor programs are far more superior than ours to the point they don’t have puppies/kittens for adoption usually, and gives them a chance thier where they wouldn’t have here. And to Top it all of HSCC is a NO KILL ORGANIZATION.
Kudos to LHS for the work they do, I think it’s great and it looks like the new management is stepping up. But DOn’t knock HSCC for doing what they do quietly behind the scenes for Years.
Way to go LHS! You are offering pet owners help with this policy change and I suspect most love their pets and just run into problems they can’t or don’t know how to handle. If the community wants a better outcome for shelter animals then we must be part of the solution - Bravo to you for engaging us! One thing for sure - we keep doing the same thing and we’ll keep getting the same result, half of the animals dying is not acceptable. I hope the next article tells me more about how I can help. Impremis - go to LHS for your next pet, bet you won’t get hassled there.
Chuck -
I agree - I don’t know what the solution is either. I appreciate that people want to help animals; but on the other hand, when you throw up so many roadblocks and knotholes for people to jump through, in order to protect the animal, that people end up not adopting them and they have to be killed anyway, is that really helping?
Not saying I know the answer. We’ve had a LOT of animals over the years; they all had a good life with us, and they enriched our lives.
Imprimis,
I know what you’re talking about regarding adoption hoops that you must jump thru…and the cost associated. Our dog passed Thanksgiving night after spending about $500 trying to save her. I swore I would never have another dog! But I work away from home about 5 months/ yr. Wanted something that at least barked to dissuade intruders or wake my family. Prior to the stray showing up, we also applied to Campbell County. I believe the adoption fee was $250…and they wanted more info about me than when I went to work for the US govt. I am sensitive to what is happening as far as animal abandonment…and I wish I had a better solution…But while I don’t agree with charging a fee for dumping an animal, I don’t know what the ideal solution is! Kind of like Obama’s medical care I guess!! Let’s get some ideas. I can’t take in anymore animals..and I’m sure there are many in the same position. But we must remain aware of the fact that just as there are people who shouldn’t have children…there are also those who shouldn’t have animals.
It seems to me that asking owners to pay a small portion fo the cost to care for their animal while the Humane Society tries to find another home is more than fair. Hopefully this will make owners think twice before just dumping their animals at the shelter.If the goal is to euthanize fewer animals this seems like a good idea.
Imp - LHS is having a special on adult dogs for the next couple of weeks - you can see the fees and available animals on their website, but it’s definitely not $300. You may also want to check out craigslist, as many owners will rehome their pets that way (no breeders allowed, but small rehoming fees). I think I actually saw a border collie mix on CL within the last week or so.
I think the requirement to set up an appointment and discuss surrendering your animal is really going to be the key to all this - it appears to have helped in bigger areas. Furthermore, they’re getting the mothers fixed, so over time it should reduce the number of strays. If it’s worked elsewhere, let’s hope it works here.
I’m not sure what to do.
First of all, I agree that this fee is going to cause people to just drive out into the “country” and dump the animal, their consciences clear because they can convince themselves that a “farmer” will take care of the animal.
I’m looking for a dog myself. A young medium-sized short haired female, mixed breed but tending toward a collie-shepherd mix, or maybe a border collie rescue (I’ve owned and loved several border collies, I understand their need to run and to work).
But when I applied to the Campbell County Humane Society (I think that was the name), I was shown a form a mile long, where I had to commit to keep the dog indoors (when I live on a 50 acre tract a mile off the road????), to have it spayed (fair enough, but unless every OTHER animal in my control or possession was neutered also, I couldn’t adopt the animal). All in all, they wanted everything but my first-born son before I could adopt an animal, including references.
Along with about a $300 fee, this red tape turned me completely off. I suppose I’ll just take my chances with a stray, or a pound dog of some sort? Maybe find out if some of my friends have one?
I know we don’t want animals to go to abusive homes, but I suspect that hundreds of animals will end up being killed (euthanized) because good people who would truly care for an animal just won’t sign up to all these commitments and fees.
Advertisement