PULASKI COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark. — When litters of dogs or cats are found in Pulaski County, where do they go?
Rescuers said volunteers and city shelters are having to find them homes, and they need help.
Jean Lewis is a volunteer with Maumelle Friends of the Animals has been helping find pets homes for six years.
“We wouldn’t have such a huge population of unwanted animals if owners were responsible and took that step and got their animals spayed and neutered,” Lewis said.
Lewis said issues with pet owners not getting animals sterilized is just one of the big issues.
“Animals that are found out in the county or owners that need to surrender their animal for one reason or another have no place to go (…) People need to notify their aldermen, their councilmen, the quorum court, anybody in government that they can talk to, to say ‘hey we want a real shelter,’” Lewis said.
Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde said they ended their contract with the North Little Rock Animal Shelter in 2018.
"Our budget remains the same, we have three officers out in the field that are responding to animal services calls. We do not have a shelter. We don't have an adoption agency; we don't do any of that. We pick up animals that are sick, injured or vicious," Hyde said.
He said a free spay or neuter and rabies shot are offered because of the county's Give 5 program on county taxes.
"I think that the spay-neuter program is really helping the animal population, and specifically to control that animal population in Pulaski County," Hyde said.
The Maumelle Animal Shelter received four animals under false pretenses last week.
“People are resorting to dumping animals or lying about where they found them to get them to the city shelters,” Lewis said.
Through research on social media, they’ve been able to locate where the animals came from.
“The problem is growing and growing,” Lewis said.
Several people who reached out to Vanessa Paige on Facebook believe this is a statewide problem.