BEAUMONT, Texas — Southeast Texas animal shelters are working to find forever homes for the high numbers of cats and dogs they are caring for.
The Humane Society of Southeast Texas is just one of the many animal shelters in the region that is at almost maximum capacity. They have had to limit taking in certain animals such as large dogs and kittens.
Mark Avila, Humane Society of Southeast Texas kennel technician, said the no-kill shelter has been at capacity since he started working there nine years ago, and the global pandemic has made a bad problem much worse.
Many Southeast Texans are struggling to take care of their animals during the pandemic, forcing them to surrender cats and dogs to the Humane Society and other Southeast Texas shelters.
The summer is usually a busy time for adoptions, but that has not been the case for the summer of 2021, Avila said. More people are finally going back to work after pandemic job cuts, and as a result, they are understandably not in the best place to adopt.
The Southeast Texas area is also seeing a high number of stray animals recently for several reason, Avila said.
“Further north, where they actually have winter, where it doesn't get above freezing for four months, the animals don't survive winter,’ he said. “Here, they can survive winter, and so they keep having more litters.”
Including the influx of stray animals the shelter takes in, they also normally take in a lot of puppies and kittens from March to October. That trend has repeated this year.
The Humane Society of Southeast Texas has not been able to transport animals to other Texas shelters, due most of them being at maximum capacity.
On September 18th join the 12News staff at The Humane Society of Southeast Texas, show you care, and give a pet a forever home, as we “Clear The Shelters.”
To adopt a dog or cat visit the Humane Society of Southeast Texas’ website to view available pets and fill out an application to adopt.
The shelter will get back in touch with you via email and/or phone so please check your email after submitting an application.
The shelter will be in touch to let you know if you’ve been approved and to set up a to come meet you potential pet.
The shelter is currently full of cats and kittens and prefers to adopt out kittens together whenever possible. Because of this there is a two-for-one special on kittens! Adopt two kittens and only pay one adoption fee.