By Megan Wehring 

HAYS COUNTY — Many animals sit in kennels for weeks or months on end, just waiting to be taken home.

“I think there is a perception that some people have that shelter animals are damaged goods,” said Christie Banduch, supervisor at the San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter (SMRAS), “or that there is something wrong with them. These animals definitely are needing homes.”

Shelters are urging more people to adopt or foster to offset high animal population numbers, which can lead to euthanizing for space.

“Just by housing an animal, you can save its life,” said Kristen Hassen of American Pets Alive. “One of the saddest things at any animal shelter is waking up Christmas morning and having all of those kennels be full of loving pets who wish they were in homes.”

Hassen explained that about 20 years ago, 15 million animals were euthanized yearly nationwide but now, the number is down to about 1.5 million. In Texas, that number is closer to 150,000 animals each year. 

Both the PAWS Shelter of Central Texas (Kyle and Dripping Springs) and the SMRAS are at full capacity  — an issue that has become more common year-round and not just at the holidays. 

“We keep those kennels moving as fast as we can,” said Melody Hilburn, executive director at PAWS. “We probably pull 10 to 12 a week, so about 80 a month.” 

Adoptions are overall down about 6% year-to-date and owner surrender has gone up by about 15%, Hilburn said. Some of that is due to people losing their jobs amid the pandemic and being forced to make different living accommodations that may not allow for pets. 

“That’s heartbreaking when people come in and they are in that situation,” Hilburn said. “We try to help. If it’s a short-term fix, we try to help them with boarding if it’s for a couple of weeks but if it’s for three or four months, we are not a boarding facility. We try to work with boarding facilities to help them out but right now, they are maxed out because of Christmas travel.”

SMRAS has been running at max capacity since March and they can’t pinpoint if the COVID-19 pandemic is the direct reason as to why that’s the case. 

“It’s a lot of creative [thinking],” Banduch told the Hays Free Press/News-Dispatch. “We expanded the foster program to help offset what needs to be physically housed at the shelter. There’s not a cookie-cutter solution.”

While the pandemic is still going on, people are facing tough times and welcoming a pet into their home could bring a little light to the darkness. 

“There are some folks who have depression and some who lost loved ones this year,” Hassen said. “Pets are this immense source of joy, love and happiness. You are not just adopting a pet, you are bringing home a new best friend and family member. There are so many studies now that show the connection between pet ownership and longer, healthier and happier lives. 

Adoption is not a reality for everybody but there are other ways to help. 

“Not everybody is in a position to take home a pet permanently,” Hassen said, “and the other way is to foster a pet. Fostering over the holidays gets pets out of the shelter over the holidays and it often helps get them a home. Fostering is giving a safe place for a pet for any amount of time. Some people can only take a pet home for a few days and some people can take a pet home until it gets adopted.”