No vacancy

HAYDEN — The sign on the front door of Companions Animal Center, “No Surrenders Currently Being Accepted,” is a first.

The shelter, formerly the Kootenai Humane Society, has not had to take such a drastic step for years. But Vicky Nelson, CAC spokeswoman, said it had no choice.

“We are overfilled. We have no place to put dogs,” she said Wednesday.

There are nearly 60 dogs at the shelter on Atlas Road. A little more than half of them are up for adoption. The rest are either in quarantine or holding kennels after being brought in by animal control. The cat kennels are also at capacity.

The situation isn’t expected to improve anytime soon and it’s creating financial problems for the nonprofit with an annual budget of about $1.8 million.

“It’s extremely difficult,” Nelson said.

In March alone, the no-kill shelter received 167 calls from people who wanted to surrender an animal.

Hillary Darty, CAC communications director, holds up a large, plastic binder filled with page after page of information about people wishing to surrender a pet.

It’s well over 100.

“We have not been able to call on this list for over a year because we’re so full,” she said.

In the past 10 years at the shelter, Nelson said it’s about as bad as it’s ever been.

“I have never seen such a long waiting list to surrender dogs,” she said.

Reasons given by people wishing to surrender a pet generally are connected to money and moving, with many saying apartments don’t allow pets or charge monthly fees topping $100.

Nelson said in pre-COVID years, about 25% of dogs brought in by animal control went unclaimed. Today, it’s about 75%.

Not only is CAC receiving more dogs, they’re bigger, which are harder to adopt out. And while puppies didn’t previously come their way, they do now.

“We’re seeing them all the time,” Nelson said.

It doesn’t help that adoptions are down.

Since 2019, when the shelter had 2,188, adoptions have steadily declined, reaching a five-year low of 1,274 last year. So far this year it's at 270.

“It’s been really challenging,” Nelson said.

Despite the rough waters, the shelter is celebrating its one-year anniversary at its new home, 10275 N. Atlas Road, on Saturday.

Prizes, entertainment, food trucks, canine play groups and facility tours are slated from noon to 5 p.m.

Nelson is hoping for a big turnout, but a forecast for clouds, cold and snow could dampen things.

“We would love to see everyone here,” she said.

She said the shelter is still trying to complete its capital campaign to pay for its new animal center. It has raised about $6.3 million toward its $8 million goal.

The shelter could use more dog food donations, as it nearly ran out last week. It goes through about 75 pounds a day.

It could also use more foster families to care for dogs and cats.

“We’re constantly fundraising and relying on donations,” Nelson said.

Melyssa Moss of Post Falls stopped by CAC on Wednesday to get shots for the German shepherd puppy they recently adopted there. She said Leo has fit in well with the family, which includes Jackson, their 9-year-old German shepherd.

Leo has had only a few accidents in the house and has been a welcome addition.

“He’s really calm,” Moss said as she and her daughter, Everly, waited with Leo in the lobby.

Asked if adopting another dog was a tough decision, Moss smiled.

“For my husband, yes. For me, I’d adopt them all.”

    Nala looks out from her kennel at Companions Animal Center on Wednesday.
  

A cat at Companions Animal Center looks up from its bed Wednesday.