LCAS Reaches Critical Capacity—A Space Crisis ~ Community Support for LCAS

June 14, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 13, 2023
Media Contact: Becky Sturmer, (208) 746-1623 / Giving@lcshelter.org

LCAS Reaches Critical Capacity—A Space Crisis ~ Community Support for LCAS
We are encouraging the community to help during this critical time. The shelter is continuing to
see critically high numbers of animals coming through the shelter doors and slower adoption
rates. We are currently at extreme over-capacity, leaving us unable to care for and house new
animals.

This crisis is not only happening in our community, but throughout the nation. According to a
recent article from Shelter Animals Count, a national database, “Is the pet adoption industry
sliding into crisis?”, animal shelters “Experience[ed] a significant increase in the number of pet
adoptions throughout the early month of the COVID-19 pandemic, [and] animal shelters are
now filled to capacity with too many animals and not enough people looking to bring home their
forever four-legged friend. The population of animals in shelters is caused by a combination of
factors, but nationally, it is not solely driven by an increase in owner surrenders. The easing of
COVID-19 restrictions, a sharp spike in the cost for families to make financial ends meet, a lack
of funding and staffing at shelters, and a growing number of people returning COVID pets or
abandoning them in the streets has some in their industry worried.”

Currently, we have 153 animals under our care. We are beyond grateful for our foster families,
who are caring for 55 of our shelter animals. In addition, our partnership with the P.A.W.S.
Training Program is currently training and working with 8 of our shelter dogs and are halfway
through their 8 week training.

“On average, we have three animal care technicians to care for 90 onsite shelter animals per day.
Meaning, each technician is responsible for the care of roughly 30 animals” states Director of
Operations, Audrey Williams. “Our staff has been working diligently to provide the most basic
needs for our animals. Their compassion and strength is admirable but the onset of burnout is
inching its way through.”

“Our goal is to reunite pets back with their families, adopt out those that need our help,
post-adoption and community support. We recognize that we are facing financial stressors in our
community. When we have the available resources, we offer assistance with food, collars, dog
beds, towels, etc. If we can assist our community with relieving some financial strain, we want to
do so. If pet families are facing behavioral challenges with their pet(s), we want to offer them
reliable resources and products to help. We envision a time when our community will seek
LCAS as a primary resource for health services, education, pet support and recreation for
animals and their people.”

As a nonprofit organization, the Lewis Clark Animal Shelter serves and is supported by our
community. Continued monetary support and food, treat and supply donations continue to make
a difference in the lives of the animals at the shelter. As we continue to experience a high volume
of animals and with the average length of stay extended, we are asking for our community to
continue to help us with our mission.

To our community, we are asking for your help to keep pets in their homes and out of the shelter.
How can you help reunite a lost pet if you’ve found one?
1. Ask your neighbors—the dog or cat may live nearby!
2. Stop by your local animal shelter to have the pet scanned for a microchip.
3. File a found report on our website. https://www.lcshelter.org/file-a-lost-found-report/file/
4. Contact your local municipality to file a found report.
5. Post the pet on local social media groups.

When someone brings a found pet into the shelter, our staff is trained to go over the options.
● The first step we’ll take is to check for a microchip or any other form of identification. If
the pet has one and we are able to make contact, we’ll ask the finder if they are able to
return the pet to their home or make arrangements with the owner(s).
○ If the pet’s home can’t be found or owner(s) cannot be reached, we’ll ask the
finder if they are willing to temporarily hold and care for the pet, using the
shelter’s available resources and support until an owner can be reached or the
stray hold has ended.
○ If the finder is unable to do either, we will then admit the pet into the shelter.

How can a pet owner help their pet make their way back home, if lost?
1. Ensure your pet(s) have identification! This can include microchips and name tags with
updated contact information. It’s an important step to ensure your pet’s microchip
information is kept current at all times. Check in with your microchip company to ensure
your pet is registered completely! Unfortunately, if your pet is found, scanned for a
microchip and your contact information is not correct, our attempts in reuniting you with
your pet reduces greatly.
2. Immediately check in with your local animal shelter! Our staff is always more than
willing to show our community the pets that have made their way here.
3. Utilize local social media pages to post your lost pet. In addition, file a lost report on our
website. https://www.lcshelter.org/file-a-lost-found-report/file/
4. Have current pictures readily available of your pet(s) to most accurately identify.
5. As always, it’s important to keep your pet(s) current on all vaccinations in order to keep
them protected from environmental dangers.
With a high volume of animals, medical care needs have also increased. The Lewis Clark Animal
Shelter’s current location continues to be a strain on daily and our ability to provide the most
adequate care the homeless shelter animals deserve. We look forward to our new shelter home.

The Lewis Clark Animal Shelter’s Building for the Paws will focus on providing a new
state-of-the-art dog and cat housing, with an emphasis on reducing stress and disease
transmission and providing necessary services to our community. For more information on our
capital campaign for our new shelter building, please contact Becky Sturmer, LCAS
Development Director, giving@lcshelter.org (208) 746-1623 or visit our website,

Looking to add a new family member, we ask that you consider adopting. Come visit our current
available and pre-selection shelter animals. If you are not able to adopt, please consider donating
a bag of food, treats or other items from our wish list.

About Lewis Clark Animal Shelter
The Lewis Clark Animal Shelter’s mission is to promote the humane treatment of animals, prevent
cruelty to animals and provide education to enhance the human-animal bond and to end pet
overpopulation through an aggressive spay/neuter campaign.
Vision-Lewis Clark Animal Shelter envisions a time when our community celebrates the human-animal
bond, embraces the mutual benefits therein and treats all fellow beings with care, compassion, and
respect; a time when LCAS is primarily a resource for health services, education and recreation for
animals and their people.
● We present LCAS as a happy, cheerful place where people come for pet adoption, pet
information and community events.
● Our valley will become a unified community where pets are not stray and unwanted.
● LCAS together with the community becomes a model for achieving a “humane society”.
Visit LCShelter.org or follow us at Facebook, Instagram
References:
https://www.shelteranimalscount.org/is-the-pet-adoption-industry-sliding-into-crisis/