For animal welfare organizations, the annual summer deluge of homeless animals is as predictable as Louisiana’s pop-up storms. The longer days and warmer temperatures kick animals’ reproductive systems into high gear. On average, the local shelter admits 25 to 50 animals a day.
To stem the rising tide, Companion Animal Alliance (CAA) is now transporting some adoptable pets to shelters across the country to help them find homes more quickly and open up space at the Progress Road facility. Since November 2014, CAA has placed 117 animals through transport.
“Because we’re an open intake shelter, any stray or unwanted animal comes to us,” foster and rescue coordinator Lily Yap says. “Kennel space is precious. Having open kennels saves lives.”
Yap has cultivated relationships with shelters in Houston, New Orleans and Virginia Beach.
Located in the South and subject to the similar breeding cycles, these shelters operate in municipalities that have greater resources and enforce tighter restrictions for animal owners and commercial breeders. So, they occasionally have the capacity to take in animals from other areas.
For example, Louisiana SPCA in New Orleans has its own customized vehicle and humanely transports between 50 to 100 animals to shelters from Florida to Washington, D.C.
“Animal overpopulation is a regional issue,” LA SPCA Communications Director Alicia Haefele says. “We do whatever we can to help the region as a whole. We always try to pull [animals] from surrounding shelters for [our] transport and for our shelter if we have space after the transport leaves.”
After Louisianan Jenny Teed became director of operations at Virginia Beach SPCA, she took a risk to help out hounds from back home.
“I didn’t know how it was going to go, but, people embraced it,” she says. “Now, volunteers are asking for us to take Louisiana dogs.”
With its 90% adoption rate, dogs at the Virginia Beach shelter tend to find homes fast.
“A dog who has been on our adoption row for a long time [is likely to] find a home immediately,” Yap says. “It’s a whole different clientele and environment. That can make a big difference.”
So far, CAA transports have exclusively involved dogs. Typically, the receiving shelter reviews CAA’s profiles and selects animals they can rehome quickly based on the demand in their area. Then, CAA spay/neuters, microchips, vaccinates, heartworm tests and receives a vet-issued health certificate for the animals to cross state lines.
In addition to providing the cost of vet services (approximately $200 per pet), cost of transports includes gas and staff time. In an effort to keep the animals as healthy as possible, Yap attempts to place the pets in short-term foster care for a few days or weeks until the van leaves.
“Not only do [short-term fosters] get the dog out of the shelter, they can fill out a short, pet- personality profile,” Yap says. “That insight gives potential adopters a window into the dog’s ability to fit in their family and helps the dog get adopted faster.”
If you’re looking for new rescued pet, don’t worry about the availability of great animals here. It will be months before the continuous flow of animals subsides.
Among CAA’s adorable animals are:
Creature Feature
Hunter (#55640) is a stunning, large, young male foxhound.
Opie (foster) is a beautiful soft grey tabby kitten. Opie loves to roughhouse with foster brother, Ezra. They’d love to be adopted together; but they are available for adoption separately.
Brooks (foster) is a young male, Catahoula/Great Dane mix. This guy’s striking coat and happy, wagging tail will immediately win your heart. At around 8 months old and weighing 40 pounds, Brooks would love a patient, loving family who will give him all the affection and training he needs.
Ladybird (#54474) is a terrier mix puppy.
Jasmine (foster) and brother Bear (solid black kitten) were homeless until they were brought to the shelter. Now in foster care, they like to wrestle until exhausted and lie on the couch with their foster family.
All these pets have been spayed/neutered, vaccinated and microchipped. Many other adoptable dogs are available through Companion Animal Alliance. See other adoptable pets.
