We covered a lot of ground on this last shelter tour. We found heartache, but we also found hope. Six states, six shelters, two community meetings, one Stronger Together event in just eight days. Two things were abundantly clear:

First, things are hard everywhere. And second, there are amazing heroes doing remarkable work all over the south.

Marketing dogs is like marketing anything else: It’s storytelling. Sharing pictures, even videos of your dogs, is helpful for people who are actively seeking you out and looking for a dog to adopt, but if you want to reel in more adopters, followers, supporters and donors, you have to tell a story.

Animal Farm Foundation is located in the Hudson Valley of New York on 400 beautiful acres. Founded in 1985, its mission has evolved over the years. Originally begun as a horse rescue, the barn now houses pitbull-type dogs (and puppies). Other buildings scattered all over the stunning New Englandy estate are filled with more dogs, and there are play yards everywhere.

Animal Friends, a nonprofit shelter in Pittsburgh, PA, helped 1361 animals find forever homes in 2024, but here are a few even more amazing numbers: They assisted 39,365 pet owners in the Pittsburgh area giving out 203,487 pounds of food, administering 21,055 vaccines, and spaying/neutering 5478 animals.

As dogs linger longer and longer at shelters, enrichment becomes a critical lifesaving necessity. In the state of North Carolina, for instance, regulations require enrichment for any dog or cat who stays in the shelter over 30 days, but every shelter, rescue, and in my opinion, pet owner should be incorporating enrichment into every dog’s life.

I’m still processing all that we learned in our four visits. The rescues we visited in the north are doing great work, and most were already helping southern shelters in some ways. Many people we met do not seem to understand just how bad the situation is. Transports are slowing in some areas.

There is a real crisis in our animal shelters. We need to count not just the number of animals coming into and out of our shelters, but the ones that are being turned away. Not counting them does not mean they don't exist, or that they aren't suffering. It's time for real change in our shelter system.

The dogs at Lucky Dog Rescue Ranch, Inc. are indeed just that – lucky. Julie is the director, kennel attendant, intake coordinator, rescue coordinator, vet tech, fundraiser, and pretty much every other position necessary for rescuing 300 dogs each year.

Summer might be winding down, although the temperature may not reflect that, but we at Who Will Let the Dogs Out are winding up! We have a lot of exciting news to share. To date, our InstaSnip program has given out over $50,000 in spay/neuter funding to our shelter partners, helping them establish an InstaSnip fund at their veterinarian’s office that their community can grow.

In Georgia, many counties have no animal shelters or animal services. The shelter in Soperton, is a relatively new shelter. It’s simple, no-frills, basically outdoor kennels, but thanks to the efforts of ACOs Michelle, Antwon, and Brandon, it is a true shelter and the dogs who land there are well cared for. Despite the day of our visit being a Sunday, all three made time for us and met us at the shelter.

Driving into the boarding kennel where Diamonds In The Ruff - South GA keeps most of its dogs, it reminded me of a war zone. A hurricane this past November had destroyed the pine forest covering the expansive property. The job of cleaning it up and replanting could take years.

Ten years ago, Candice followed her daughter to the Tift County Animal Control Shelter, in southern Georgia, for a summer project photographing dogs to help them get adopted. She had no idea what she’d unleashed.

At Dublin Laurens County Humane Society they take the words ‘no kill’ seriously. There is no talk of 90%. They simply don’t euthanize any animals except for extreme medical cases. The board and staff are committed to saving every animal that comes to them.

In June, we visited Franklin County Animal Shelter in Louisburg, North Carolina. (This is our third ‘Franklin County’ if you’re keeping score.) The shelter is in a period of transition with an interim director. Jerry Jones has lived his whole life in Franklin County. He’d been on the job for nine months. Prior to taking the shelter position, he had retired after serving as a deputy sheriff.

The most powerful way we can impact the shelter crisis in this country is to fund spay/neuter. It’s as simple as that. And yet, for too many shelters, finding that funding is not simple. Chasing grant money takes time and is often not possible for municipal shelters who often need the funding the most.

Craven-Pamlico Animal Services practices managed intake in the way I believe it was originally intended. CPAS is a large shelter, close to the coast of North Carolina, that serves multiple municipalities and handles over four thousand animals a year.