Humane Society In Desperate Need Of Help

Due to a lack of funds, The Humane Society of Pulaski County is being forced to turn away animals and cut back on statewide abuse investigations. Forgotten, abandoned, abused... Agencies like the Humane Society of Pulaski County see it all. But now, more and more animals are being turned away. Some of it`s just the season. Cats are breeding and summer vacations are leaving some pets without a home. With city and Humane Society kennels full and the county with no space of its own, it`s shaping up to be a very long summer. "hungry, injured, wet." left out in the elements... "it breaks my heart." "they are too cute." Many of these animals end up here at the Humane Society. The problem, all but the neediest cases have to be turned away and you can see why. Crates fill the lobby. And it`s even worse inside. (Kay Jordan/Humane Society of Pulaski County) "i`m responding to emergency situations only and beyond that there`s nothing we can do to help them. the problem is getting worse." The county has three officers of its own, but nowhere of its own to put the 15-hundred animals those officers find every year. "we rely on some of the cities to store the animals for us." And when city shelters fill up, the burden falls on the Humane Society. "these are all dumped, strays. that happens quite frequently, more and more." And speaking of more and more, a quick check of the Humane Society shows the crowd here is only expected to get bigger. "it is kitten breeding season in arkansas. we probably have 7 or 8 expecting any minute. everywhere right now, there are babies." A bigger burden on an already stretched agency. just one of many during what`s already shaping up to be a long arkansas summer. That load could be shifting a bit. The city of Little Rock has plans to build a new shelter and the county is considering to pitch in with construction and operating costs in return for some space there. But some say that won`t go far enough and feel the county needs to have a place of its own. To see animals for adoption at the Humane Society of Pulaski County or to make a donation, visit www.warmhearts.org