Animal shelters full after holidays

The holiday season is over and this time of year is one of the busiest for animal shelters across the country.

For many, waking up to a new puppy or kitten on Christmas morning is a dream come true. Humane Society of South Mississippi Volunteer Coordinator Valerie Kattz said, “Well, it is always exciting to get a puppy for Christmas, but the sad thing is when people give animals as gifts sometimes the other person was not expecting to get an animal and when that happens, sometimes they show up here at the shelter.”

Right now, the Humane Society of South Mississippi is almost at capacity with the amount of animals they are able to hold. “If you did get a pet for the holidays, please, please, please keep that animal and love that animal. You are going to get a lifetime of unconditional love out of it and just remember if you got a puppy or really any animal, it’s going to take time to train it, just like with children, you have to teach them and train them,” said Kattz.

One of the number one reasons shelters see puppies come in is because their owners say that they are not potty-trained. Puppies do not have control of their bladder muscles until six to nine months, so the shelter advises that you just be patient and keep practicing.

Another reason shelters fill up after the holidays is due to animals that escape during all of the New Year’s Eve celebrations. “For one thing with the fireworks, a lot of animals will get scared and run away. So, we are seeing more strays come in. If your pet is missing we encourage you to please come down to the shelter and reclaim your animal,” said Kattz.

As always, the shelter is looking for volunteers to help out with all of the animals.