The Bartholomew County Humane Society (BCHS) is over capacity, housing almost double the number of animals the shelter has resources for, officials said. The shelter currently houses 53 dogs and 95 cats with the capacity to house 32 dogs and 60 cats.
Each animal that comes into the humane society results in costs to the facility, officials said. More animals means more food, medications, vet costs and a lower adoption appeal, said Shawn Bliton, executive director . Overcrowding in shelters can lead to mental and emotional exhaustion of both the animals and the volunteers caring for them, he said. Each animal costs the shelter around $1,000 when they are brought in, he said.
Once a shelter reaches capacity, animals become more stressed and irritable because of the increased noise and lack of time for enrichment. The root of the problem is that there are simply too many animals in Bartholomew County, Bliton said.
A short-term solution to the crisis is programs like the “Doggy Day Out” program that allows members of the community to take a shelter dog out for a day, providing them with public socialization and enrichment. This can include anything from a walk or hike in the park to spending time at home.
Another option is to have community members foster animals. Community members can temporarily house shelter animals until they are adopted. This creates some needed space to house other animals in the shelter and provides enrichment for fostered animals, Bliton said.
A long-term solution is to address the root problem by spaying and neutering more animals, Bliton said. BCHS has even partnered with BISSELL’s Fix the Future program to perform spay and neuter operations in the BCHS facility. The ultimate goal would be to open a public spay and neuter clinic to make the public aware of the root cause on a larger scale, he said.
”While adopting, fostering, and donating are all encouraged and welcomed, we ultimately need to be more aggressive in our spay and neuter initiatives,” Bliton said.
Despite the overcrowded environment and strain on volunteers, staff at BCHS still find time to put the animals first. The shelter received the status of ‘no-kill’ for the third year in a row from Best Friends Animal Society, which focuses on “saving every animal that can be saved.” Their work is succeeding; nearly two out of three shelters across the country achieved no-kill status in 2024, according to its website.
“But given the caring and passionate staff we have here at the Bartholomew County Humane Society, even in the hardest times, our staff remains focused on our mission of providing humane care for those animals within our shelter all while empowering those in our community to be responsible owners,” Bliton said.
For community members who want to volunteer or donate, go to bartholomewhumane.org
