Adopt A Shelter Pet Day: Cats And Dogs Need Homes In Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Here’s a number to keep in mind on National Adopt A Shelter Pet Day on Sunday: 9,957. That’s the number of cats and dogs shelters in Virginia took in during the first three months of the year.

The national database Shelter Animals Count keeps a running tally of abandoned and surrendered pets, based on reports from local shelters around the country. Euthanasia rates are rising with the increase in the number of cats and dogs that wind up in shelters.

In some cases, the rate at which healthy dogs and cats are put down has more than doubled, according to a Scripps News Service investigation by reporters Clayton Sandell and Rachel Gold earlier this year.

Nationally, 1,267 shelters took in 454,233 cats and dogs from Jan. 1-March 31, according to the shelter census. About 50,380 were euthanized or did not survive for other reasons.

In Virginia, 40 organizations reported they took in 9,957 cats and dogs from Jan. 1 to March 31. Of that number, 389 were euthanized and 92 died in care.

The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria cares for an estimated 2,000 animals each year. It is generally a "no-kill shelter," as it finds placement for about 96 percent of animals and only euthanizes in limited circumstances. In 2022, the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria completed 1,504 adoptions.

Adopt a Shelter Pet Day is an ideal time to help the animal shelter find homes for more animals.

"Adopting a shelter or rescue pet can be so rewarding," Stella Hanly, executive director at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria, said in a statement to Patch. "You're giving a pet a second chance at a happy, healthy life. You can find such a diverse mix of pets in shelters, especially here at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria. We often have puppies, small and large dogs, kittens and cats, but also pets like rabbits, guinea pigs, and even lizards up for adoption at the AWLA."

The number of cats and dogs taken in at animal shelters reached a high for the year in March, according to the Shelter Animals Count report. The actual number is likely much higher, as only about half of the nation’s 3,500 animal shelters filed intake reports.

In March, about 60,000 of the cats and dogs taken in by shelters were strays, but about 45,000 of them were surrendered by their owners.

According to the Scripps investigation, the reasons euthanasia rates are increasing are complex, ranging from logistical problems like a lack of space and staffing to decreasing demand for pets with the end of pandemic restrictions and the cost of keeping a pet amid high inflation.

“As people have returned to normal, and animals are staying behind,” Stephanie Filer, the CEO of Shelter Animals Count, told the Scripps reporters. “And so that whole system has essentially bottlenecked.”

National Adopt A Shelter Pet Day is an informal observance every year on April 30 to raise awareness of the million of cats, dogs and other pets waiting for adoption.

Patch features adoptable pets from the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria each week. This week's featured pet is Riggs, a cool cat who loves attention and treats from his humans.

Here's more information on Riggs:

Riggs is a 9-year-old stunning male kitty with a piercing golden stare. As you can see from his photos, he's very handsome. He is also very fond of his comfy kitty perch. He hangs out there to feel out new visitors. Once he determines you're "cool," Riggs is a very friendly, affectionate and sweet kitty. He loves to be pet and get his chin scratched. He also adores the lickable Churus treats, which are a quick way to his heart.

More adoptable pets are available on the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria website.