Allen Animal Shelter saw fewer surrenders and no slowdown in adoptions last year, according to an annual report prepared by the Animal Shelter Advisory Committee.
Committee chair and Animal Services Supervisor Deborah Michnick provided a snapshot of 2020 operations during the April 13 council meeting. She noted that pets were in such high demand in Allen, Allen Animal Services took steps to assist other shelters experiencing overcrowding.
“We felt a lot of it was because of people working from home or sheltering at home; they wanted to have their little furry sidekick next to them to keep them company,” said Michnick.
In total, 365 pets were adopted from Allen Animal Shelter in 2020 – including 56 during a month-long Clear the Shelters event. Allen Animal Services also responded to more citizen calls, impounded more strays, returned more pets to their owners and released more pets to the wild or rehab facilities in 2020 than in 2019.
Michnick highlighted several new initiatives launched in 2020, including:
- An informational campaign on responsible pet ownership tied to the “Search for Cece the Dino” event planned by Allen Parks and Recreation
- Use of SpidrTech software to follow up with citizens and gauge customer satisfaction
- A partnership with Allen Municipal Court to accept pet food and litter donations from defendants who elect to participate in a Community Service Credit program
April 11-17 is Animal Care and Control Appreciation Week. Follow Allen Animal Shelter on Facebook and learn about local pet services on the Allen Animal Services website.