By Scott Hamilton, Charleston Gazette-Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Something good came out of 2020 after all.
Sarah Tolley, the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association’s community engagement coordinator, said the shelter experienced a 40% increase in adoptions last year. That was powered by a 60% jolt at the end of June that left the shelter down with “maybe five dogs available in the kennels, no puppies at all, no kittens available and maybe a couple of adult cats.”
The majority of those animals adopted aren’t being returned to the shelter, Tolley said.
“Something that stands out more than anything is we also have fewer returns of adoptions,” Tolley said. “That means people are more willing to work with pets, acclimate them to homes and give them the chance they need. It’s just super cool.”
And it’s all part of a larger trend.
According to PetPoint, a data service used by more than 1,400 shelters nationally, returns of previously adopted dogs dipped 24.4% from 2019. Cat returns were down 24.9%. Those numbers are consistent with total intakes (which include strays and owner surrenders), as 24.3% fewer dogs were brought into shelters, along with 21.4% fewer cats…
