Because of an increase in animals coming in to the shelter this summer, the Leflore County Humane Society is running low on pet food — mainly food for puppies.
“We’ve had a surge of animals the last two or three months, and they eat,” said Aubrey Whittington, president of the shelter’s board.
Whittington said the shelter’s adoption rate tends to be slower in the summer because people are gone on vacations, and with the weak economy on top of that, the number of dogs and cats at the shelter has been especially high this year.
Not only does the shelter keep up with animals in the Greenwood community, but other area shelters also bring dogs and cats there because it has a good reputation and a relatively high adoption rate, Whittington said.
The demand for dog food at the shelter is greater since most cats are smaller and don’t go through food as quickly. Right now, the shelter especially needs puppy food, which is higher in protein and other nutrients and helps the development and growth of young dogs.
Whittington said they have recently received some generous donations of pet food and paint for the building from Wal-Mart, but they are still struggling to keep up with food demands.
The money the Humane Society has needs to cover the cost of medical care for the animals, as well as food, so food donations from the community allow them to allocate more funds for medications and treatments.
“The public has always been so wonderful when we need something,” Whittington said.
Pet food or monetary donations of all sizes can be brought to the Humane Society at 601 Ione St.
The shelter’s hours from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
For more information, call shelter director Martha LaVere at (662) 453-8085 or visit www.petfinder.com/shelters/MS95.html.
