JACKSONVILLE, Ark. – Not having enough space is an issue many animal shelters across the nation are dealing with, including the Jacksonville Animal Shelter which is at capacity.
The Jacksonville Animal Service shelter said they have caught people on camera dropping dogs off at their front steps and they, along with the police department, are hoping to catch who it is to send a message to the community.
“We’ve just run out of space and don’t have anywhere else to put them,” Jacksonville Animal Control Officer Madison Binsted said.
This activity leads to less space and more dogs being euthanized.
“We are struggling to keep the shelter clean at this point because there are so many dogs to take care of,” Binsted said.
Binsted added that part of the problem is people treating their dogs like property instead of family.
Two surveillance videos posted to social media from the shelter show someone dropping dogs off and driving away.
The Jacksonville Police Department said if they can find who it is, they’ll be charged with abandoning the animals.
“The amount of hurt it puts those animals in is just awful,” Binsted said.
The shelter said 18 dogs have been dropped off in the span of four days.
Binsted said the shelter is “probably sitting right at 70 dogs over now.”
“Being a municipal shelter, we have to take dogs in every day that run the street and it’s a lot to have dogs thrown at you that may or may not have come inside your city,” Binsted said.
On Saturday, April 20, the Jacksonville Animal Services shelter is having an adoption event at Dupree Park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
All adoption fees will be waived and it’s for a special cause to help raise awareness for autism, making for a great opportunity to get a service dog.