SCOTT COUNTY, Iowa — The Humane Society of Scott County is celebrating the adoptions of 88 animals over St. Patrick's Day weekend.
A total of 110 animals were moved out of the eastern Iowa shelter. Nine dogs and 13 cats are now in the care of the shelter's transfer partners to help ease the burden of care.
The shelter celebrated the adoption of 57 cats, 26 dogs, four rats and a rabbit over the weekend. It has dropped its adoption rates to $17 to overcome its capacity crisis.
The Humane Society has been in a capacity crisis. The shelter can house and care for 71 large dogs, but on March 12, they were housing 90 large dogs and eight smaller dogs.
Even though the shelter was successful with adopting out 26 dogs over St. Patrick's Day weekend, it still had another 24 dogs come into the shelter at the same time.
"Many of those dogs are living in crates. Not even dog kennels, but wire crates, because there is no more space. Period," the shelter posted on its Facebook page. "These dogs do not deserve to live their lives in crates."
How can I help?
There are several ways folks in the Quad Cities can help out the Humane Society of Scott County.
The shelter's donation page has many ways to give back, whether it be a one-time donation or a monthly one. Click the link above for more details.
Volunteering at the shelter takes just five steps and $15.
The link above has a volunteer orientation video for a prospective volunteer to view before taking a short quiz. Then, the next step is to apply, which pops up after the quiz is completed.
The one-time $15 fee covers the cost of a background check and a volunteer shirt. Once all of those steps are done, the last is to join the program! The Humane Society's volunteer coordinator will reach out to schedule and intro session at the shelter.
Fostering is essential to the survival and well-being of animals that go into shelters. There are four kinds of fostering opportunities.
Neonatal foster homes help puppies and kittens who are too young to survive on their own. These babies require around-the-clock care, supplemental feeding and a heat source.
Behavioral foster homes are meant to help animals that exhibit behavioral issues such as anxiety. If an animal isn't thriving at the shelter, they are sent to these homes to get the care and attention they need to work through specific issues.
Hospice foster homes are for animals in their last stage of life. Animals eligible for this have a terminal illness but are not in pain. It involves monitoring the animal on every level and reporting back to the shelter.
Recovery foster homes are the best environment for animals who may have had major surgery. All medical costs are paid for by the Humane Society.
Businesses have three different ways to give back to the shelter:
- Sponsoring an event.
- Hosting a fundraiser.
- Sponsoring a cuddle session.
Businesses interested can contact Celina Rippel with the shelter at 309-660-6414 or by email.
Watch more news, weather and sports on News 8's YouTube channel