By Emilie Parten, The Roving Reporter for The NavCo Chronicle
The Corsicana Animal Shelter is a small building on South 12th street, packed full to the brim of animals in need. More than 90 cats and 120 dogs are housed, fed and looked after by a handful of individuals and an even smaller number of volunteers. Severely underfunded and over-populated, the animal shelter is in desperate need of assistance.
They subsist on a small yearly budget, provided by the city and any funds they manage to raise often go to expensive surgeries to save innocent lives of neglected and needful animals.
The Corsicana City Council approved a remodel for the shelter well over a year ago that never came to be. With the changing of several members, the remodel was rescinded, despite the building being in sever need of updating and more space to help the poor souls still looking for forever homes. Corsicana City Manager, Connie Standridge did all she could to aid the shelter in their plight. A bigger shelter would mean a bigger staff and as the animal control problem grows, the bigger shelter, bigger budget and bigger staff are more and more necessary.
“It’s not an option to turn away an animal in need, regardless of the situation,” manager of the animal shelter, Ashley McCalvin stated. Adoption fees have been waived for months in order to assist the hopefuls that come to the shelter looking for a companion.
The staff are positive the economy is the driving factor in the dropping adoption rates. The more the cost of food and other pet necessities go up, the less these poor creatures get what they need to survive.
Overpopulation in shelters has caused several cities to decrease animal control, leaving many pets on the streets which has caused a surge in stray pregnancies and even more animals without homes to be hit by cars and dig in trash cans for scraps of food.
The situation cannot be fixed with euthanization or mass adoptions. It starts with spaying and neutering and continues with loving volunteers, willing fosters and people who would rather see an animal in a loving home rather than on a cold steel table.
The shelter is in desperate need of volunteers, donations and fosters. For more information on low-cost animal care, the shelter has a variety of options for the spaying and neutering of your pet as well as easy to find services such as the Dehart Veterinary Services for spay, neuter and wellness which is available every 1st Wednesday and 4th Friday of the month at Tractor Supply on State Highway 31 W from 10AM to 3PM. Shelter hours are noon to 6PM on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
If you have the space in your home for a furry companion, ask Ashley about the possibility of fostering an animal or two, getting them out of the small crates and into a loving environment as they each deserve.
No animal should have to die just because they are alive in a place with too many. Each and every dog and cat in the shelter deserves a home. You could be a hero to these animals in need.
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