“I Can’t Imagine Not Being Here for Them”: Inside Clewiston Animal Services

‍Heather, the shelter manager/ACO and only full-time employee for Clewiston Animal Services Animal Shelter, didn’t let the day being a holiday or her being sick keep her from meeting with us for our scheduled visit last January. She is committed to the animals in her care and would not miss the opportunity to get them more help.

‍‍The tiny shelter is in a tiny town on the west side of Lake Okeechobee, equal distance between Ft Myers and West Palm Beach. This past October, the county pulled out of the shelter, leaving it to serve only city residents. This has led to fewer dogs and significantly less funding.

‍Heather began working at the shelter in July of 2024, jumping at the chance to help animals. With the separation of County and City sheltering, she now has only one part-time kennel attendant, but otherwise she is responsible for running every animal control call, plus all the cleaning, care of the animals (the day we visited there were about 25 dogs, nearly all large, plus a half-dozen cats/kittens), marketing of the dogs including reaching out for rescue help and sharing the animals on social media (taking the pictures and creating the content too).

It seems like much more than one person can handle, but when I ask Heather if she likes her job, she nods, and even with a mask on, I can tell she is smiling wide. “I can’t imagine not being here for them,” she says. “I love taking care of them. I love my job.”

‍ The shelter has very few volunteers, mostly just occasional community service assignments, so it is rare that the majority of the dogs get out of their kennels for walks. They have several nice playyards, but Heather uses them for the dogs who live in the indoor kennels (isolation and new intake), so they have a chance to stretch their legs and get outside. The regular kennels are basically outdoor. Most of the dogs have access to an indoor space and a covered outdoor space, separated by guillotine doors, but because the shelter is overfull, some have access to only one side. Today, with temperatures around 40 degrees, the outdoor area is enclosed in plastic, but I imagine summer is another story.

‍‍Heather has very few rescue connections, but one dependable rescue has truly been the shelter’s angel, helping with heartworm treatment, spay/neuter, and sometimes funds for heartworm prevention. There is no room in the budget for preventatives, and the shelter can run short on other essentials, like food. When they run out, Heather posts on Facebook, and usually someone in the community comes through. Just before our visit, Tractor Supply donated a pallet of food.

As far as municipal shelters go, this shelter holds its own, but so many animals in the care of one full-time and one part-time employee is the recipe for burnout and struggle. I’m sure adjustments are being made as the county and city disentangle animal services. It wasn’t clear why they separated. Regional sheltering is something many municipalities are moving toward to save costs.

‍‍In her time running the shelter, Heather has not needed to euthanize for reasons other than severe medical need or aggressive behavior. The shelter is dependent on rescue, with only about 10 local adoptions a year. Long stays in shelters are extremely stressful for dogs, and without ample human interaction, many can break down. Most of the dogs who have been at the shelter six months or longer (which is nearly all of them) have been sponsored by a local rescue, but finding adopters or a rescue has proved elusive. They are all showcased on a large screen in the lobby area, and Heather promotes them on Facebook.

Since our visit, Heather says some of the dogs have gotten out to rescues, and her numbers are down a bit. She was even able to help a neighboring shelter with some overflow and placed one of those dogs. But it is still mostly a one (and a half) woman show at the shelter.

In a state brimming with people (and dogs), it surprises me that there aren’t more people willing to volunteer at the shelter and help this bright young woman, who is clearly dedicating her life to helping these animals. Heather would love to develop a foster program too. Getting the dogs out of the shelter, even for a few hours or a sleepover, could be lifesaving.

We only ever get a snapshot of what is happening at the shelter on the day of our visit, so likely there is more to this story. It’s a nice facility with lots of playyards, a transport van, a relatively new building, and what seems like a lot of kennels for such a small county. Hopefully, as Heather grows into the job and the residents realize her commitment to them, more will step up to help. A dog-walking program could go a long way to helping these long-term residents survive, and playgroups could be lifesaving.

If you know anyone in the Clewiston area, please give them a nudge (or a tag here!). More human interaction and exercise would go a long way in improving the quality of life for the animals (and Heather!)

And if you are able, please consider encouraging Heather and helping the animals by shopping the shelter’s Amazon or Walmart wishlists.