Shelters full of cats, dogs
Group forms to raise money, help rescue animals
By Dolly A. Butzdbutz@siouxcityjournal.com | Posted: Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Beth Storm holds a newly-washed kitten that had was part of a litter dropped off at Sioux City Animal Control Wednesday Oct. 22, 2008. Paw Prints Rescue was formed to help with the adoption and care of unwanted pets. (Sioux City Journal photo illustration by Tim Hynds)
SIOUX CITY -- Henry leaps onto the sofa in the basement of Beth Storm's Sioux City home.
He lashes his puffy tan and white tail from side to side, arches his head back and purrs.
"Hi, sweetheart," Storm says as Henry gently rubs his face against her hand.
Henry was homeless until Storm took him in as a foster pet through Siouxland Paw Prints Rescue, an organization she co-founded.
Storm said the adult male cat had an arrow through his body when Sioux City Animal Control officers picked him up. No one ever came to the shelter to claim him.
"He is the coolest cat," she said. "He's been here for months, and he's the best cat."
Storm and Kris Kava established Siouxland Paw Prints Rescue, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, in June to increase the number of adoptions from Animal Control and to improve the lives of Siouxland pets.
During these tough economic times, Sioux City Animal Control owner Cindy Rarrat said she is seeing an "influx" of animals at the shelter partly because people can no longer afford to take care of their pets.
Kava, a longtime volunteer at the Animal Control shelter, said the group has raised funds for spay and neuter and vaccination programs, as well as emergency vet care for dogs and cats that wind up at the shelter.
"It enhances everything that we do as volunteers at that shelter," she said.
Siouxland Paw Prints Rescue volunteers spend countless hours participating in animal rescue efforts, educating the public about microchipping and providing foster homes for cats, kittens, dogs and puppies until they can be adopted. About 60 people volunteer with the organization in one capacity or another, according to Storm.
Shelters overcrowded
Every month an average of 186 dogs and puppies are impounded at the Animal Control shelter, and an average of 54 dogs and puppies are euthanized.
Since Siouxland Paw Prints Rescue was founded, volunteer Brenda Iwen said, adoption numbers at Animal Control have more than doubled. Last November, she said, approximately 30 dogs were being adopted from the shelter per month. Today an average of 75 dogs are leaving the shelter with new families monthly.
Now, the organization is on a mission to increase the number of cat adoptions from the shelter as they did with dog adoptions.
About 1,800 cats come through the doors of the Animal Control shelter annually, and more than 1,400 of them are euthanized, according to Storm. She said the shelter has room to house only 26 adult cats at a time.
Overcrowding is a common problem at Animal Control, according to owner Cindy Rarrat. Because of space constraints, she said an animal can be held at the shelter for only seven days.
"Our animals are on a time limit," she said. "We need to give the owners a chance to reclaim them. If they don't, then those animals need to be adopted, moved out to breed rescues and temporary adoption situations as soon as possible."
Rarrat said the huge influx of animals is due to "irresponsible pet owners."
"People need to realize that their animals can't speak for themselves, so they need to have identification on them," she said. "Spaying and neutering is a huge issue, that's why we never run out of animals at the shelter. Until we start to spay and neuter, we will never see a reduction in the pet population."
Paw Prints Rescue volunteers regularly transport dogs from Sioux City to shelters in Minneapolis, where there is a shortage of dogs due to the city's strict spay and neuter laws.
Although other communities have adopted such laws, Rarrat said they are difficult to enforce.
"We are doing everything within our power to make sure that dogs are spayed and neutered," she said.
Saving lives
Last month, when Rarrat needed to open eight kennels, volunteer Sheila Copple walked to the back of the shelter where the big dogs are kept.
There she found Hope, a German shorthaired pointer. A large bleeding tumor on Hope's mouth that had grown into her jawline brought Copple to tears. She took Hope home and paid to have a veterinarian remove her tumor. The tumor grew back, and Hope is now facing a second operation.
"She'll go back to the vet on Friday and we'll see if they can take it out again," Copple said last week. "She's got a lot of life left in her."
Iwen said the job of a rescue volunteer isn't for "weenies" because they often come across animals that are sick and injured.
A toy poodle weighted down with 10 pounds of filthy, tangled fur. Three puppies with fleas, mange and scabies that were going to be shot. A bald and skinny sheltie that Animal Control officers thought had been burned.
The need is so great that Storm, Kava, Iwen, Copple and volunteer Terry Mann said they have spent hundreds of dollars of their own money on emergency vet care. The city of Sioux City does not allocate money in Animal Control's budget for veterinary services.
For many years, when an animal that was hit by a car came in, Rarrat said, staffers at the shelter would make it as comfortable as possible until the owner could be found. Now, because of Siouxland Paw Prints Rescue, Rarrat said, sick and injured animals can be taken to a veterinarian for life-saving care.
"A lot of animals will be starved, neglected, abandoned, and this rescue helps with those types of situations where they need help -- that's money that has not been budgeted for such a thing," she said. "We're very grateful. They're going to be a huge benefit to this community and its pets."
Tips for pet owners:
-- Before you get a pet, know the type of pet you're going to get. Know what your legal responsibilities are as a pet owner.
-- Have your dog or cat spayed or neutered.
-- Train you dog.
-- If you lose your pet, look for it.
-- Do not simply call Animal Control. Go to the shelter in person and look for your pet. Visit www.siouxcityanimalcontrol.com for more information.
-- Have your pet microchipped. Make sure your registration with the microchip company is current.
-- If your dog is at the Animal Control shelter and you don't want it, go there and sign a surrender form so volunteers can begin working to place the dog with a new family.
He lashes his puffy tan and white tail from side to side, arches his head back and purrs.
"Hi, sweetheart," Storm says as Henry gently rubs his face against her hand.
Henry was homeless until Storm took him in as a foster pet through Siouxland Paw Prints Rescue, an organization she co-founded.
Storm said the adult male cat had an arrow through his body when Sioux City Animal Control officers picked him up. No one ever came to the shelter to claim him.
"He is the coolest cat," she said. "He's been here for months, and he's the best cat."
Storm and Kris Kava established Siouxland Paw Prints Rescue, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, in June to increase the number of adoptions from Animal Control and to improve the lives of Siouxland pets.
During these tough economic times, Sioux City Animal Control owner Cindy Rarrat said she is seeing an "influx" of animals at the shelter partly because people can no longer afford to take care of their pets.
Kava, a longtime volunteer at the Animal Control shelter, said the group has raised funds for spay and neuter and vaccination programs, as well as emergency vet care for dogs and cats that wind up at the shelter.
"It enhances everything that we do as volunteers at that shelter," she said.
Siouxland Paw Prints Rescue volunteers spend countless hours participating in animal rescue efforts, educating the public about microchipping and providing foster homes for cats, kittens, dogs and puppies until they can be adopted. About 60 people volunteer with the organization in one capacity or another, according to Storm.
Shelters overcrowded
Every month an average of 186 dogs and puppies are impounded at the Animal Control shelter, and an average of 54 dogs and puppies are euthanized.
Since Siouxland Paw Prints Rescue was founded, volunteer Brenda Iwen said, adoption numbers at Animal Control have more than doubled. Last November, she said, approximately 30 dogs were being adopted from the shelter per month. Today an average of 75 dogs are leaving the shelter with new families monthly.
Now, the organization is on a mission to increase the number of cat adoptions from the shelter as they did with dog adoptions.
About 1,800 cats come through the doors of the Animal Control shelter annually, and more than 1,400 of them are euthanized, according to Storm. She said the shelter has room to house only 26 adult cats at a time.
Overcrowding is a common problem at Animal Control, according to owner Cindy Rarrat. Because of space constraints, she said an animal can be held at the shelter for only seven days.
"Our animals are on a time limit," she said. "We need to give the owners a chance to reclaim them. If they don't, then those animals need to be adopted, moved out to breed rescues and temporary adoption situations as soon as possible."
Rarrat said the huge influx of animals is due to "irresponsible pet owners."
"People need to realize that their animals can't speak for themselves, so they need to have identification on them," she said. "Spaying and neutering is a huge issue, that's why we never run out of animals at the shelter. Until we start to spay and neuter, we will never see a reduction in the pet population."
Paw Prints Rescue volunteers regularly transport dogs from Sioux City to shelters in Minneapolis, where there is a shortage of dogs due to the city's strict spay and neuter laws.
Although other communities have adopted such laws, Rarrat said they are difficult to enforce.
"We are doing everything within our power to make sure that dogs are spayed and neutered," she said.
Saving lives
Last month, when Rarrat needed to open eight kennels, volunteer Sheila Copple walked to the back of the shelter where the big dogs are kept.
There she found Hope, a German shorthaired pointer. A large bleeding tumor on Hope's mouth that had grown into her jawline brought Copple to tears. She took Hope home and paid to have a veterinarian remove her tumor. The tumor grew back, and Hope is now facing a second operation.
"She'll go back to the vet on Friday and we'll see if they can take it out again," Copple said last week. "She's got a lot of life left in her."
Iwen said the job of a rescue volunteer isn't for "weenies" because they often come across animals that are sick and injured.
A toy poodle weighted down with 10 pounds of filthy, tangled fur. Three puppies with fleas, mange and scabies that were going to be shot. A bald and skinny sheltie that Animal Control officers thought had been burned.
The need is so great that Storm, Kava, Iwen, Copple and volunteer Terry Mann said they have spent hundreds of dollars of their own money on emergency vet care. The city of Sioux City does not allocate money in Animal Control's budget for veterinary services.
For many years, when an animal that was hit by a car came in, Rarrat said, staffers at the shelter would make it as comfortable as possible until the owner could be found. Now, because of Siouxland Paw Prints Rescue, Rarrat said, sick and injured animals can be taken to a veterinarian for life-saving care.
"A lot of animals will be starved, neglected, abandoned, and this rescue helps with those types of situations where they need help -- that's money that has not been budgeted for such a thing," she said. "We're very grateful. They're going to be a huge benefit to this community and its pets."
Tips for pet owners:
-- Before you get a pet, know the type of pet you're going to get. Know what your legal responsibilities are as a pet owner.
-- Have your dog or cat spayed or neutered.
-- Train you dog.
-- If you lose your pet, look for it.
-- Do not simply call Animal Control. Go to the shelter in person and look for your pet. Visit www.siouxcityanimalcontrol.com for more information.
-- Have your pet microchipped. Make sure your registration with the microchip company is current.
-- If your dog is at the Animal Control shelter and you don't want it, go there and sign a surrender form so volunteers can begin working to place the dog with a new family.
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Former Siouxland Resident wrote on Oct 30, 2008 3:05 PM:
Sunshine wrote on Oct 30, 2008 8:59 AM:
Jason wrote on Oct 29, 2008 3:39 PM:
Stephanie Storm wrote on Oct 29, 2008 3:17 PM:
Susan wrote on Oct 29, 2008 10:30 AM: