Packed Lynchburg Humane Society to start charging surrender fee

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.