Humane society approaches capacity during kitten season

SANDUSKY — "Kitten season" might sound exciting to most people. But for a local animal shelter that's dealing with an influx of newborn cats this time of year, securing space and adoptions for all of those animals can be a challenge. Recently, the Humane Society of Erie County has been attempting to adapt to the high amount of kittens it has received due to the warmer weather. Melissa Gundlach, the society's executive director, said that its intake units are currently full and encouraged those with pets to have them spayed and neutered. "I can't move cats into a public room until they're medically and emotionally ready to be adopted," Gundlach said. "New cats must start in the intake rooms until they are ready to move up." The nonprofit has space for 115 cats and 22 dogs and currently has 81 cats and 17 dogs, with a waiting list of surrenders. "So we don't euthanize for space," Gundlach said. "And because we don't do that, we have a waiting list to surrender. So we're at the mercy of our adoption rates before we can help the next one in line." Marissa Collingsworth, a shelter attendant at the humane society, noted that this time of year is difficult for them. "We have so many great cats here," Collingsworth said. "While we all love the kittens, it is hard to watch the kittens get adopted while the adults sit waiting patiently to be chosen." Prioritizing care Erie County's humane society has been helping animals in need since 1900 and was officially incorporated as a nonprofit in 1985. "We're here 365 days a year," Gundlach said. "Our animals live here every day until they get adopted. So I know a lot of people might see our hours as limiting. But we're here every day, holidays, weekends, Sundays." A typical day at the shelter takes a lot of tedious work with every kennel getting cleaned and sanitized every day to prevent disease. That can take as many as four hours every morning to clean. "Disease control is big," Gundlach said. "I always say we're pretty much a homeless shelter for friendly animals looking for their next home. And one of the main things is to prevent disease because treating disease costs a lot more than preventing it." She said every animal gets new bedding every day, which helps with disease control, along with reducing odors in the building. Gundlach also said that every animal is vetted upon arrival, which includes vaccinations, spaying/neutering, deworming and even flea treatment. With dogs, they also work on behavior training to make sure the right canine is going with the right owner. Gary Flynn, a local dog trainer, works with the nonprofit to help better prepare animals for adoption. "They really do try to match things up," Flynn said. "They bring a dog in and they let the dogs cool down — there's a lot of stress when you start moving them around — and then you can pick up institutional behaviors. "They really help them calm and then start with little stuff to build a better structure for the dog," he added. It takes a village The nonprofit has an extensive network of volunteers, and they try to utilize everyone's skills the best they can. "Everyone's got different skills and talents," Gundlach said. "We love to utilize anybody who wants to help out, but we are a small facility. We want to make sure that everyone gets a chance to feel useful when they're here." Volunteers help with a number of different jobs, including cleaning kennels, doing laundry and socializing with animals. Gundlach said she even has a volunteer who helps write thank you letters and puts in the most hours remotely. "I've got volunteers who come in to socialize or clean or scrub," Gundlach said. "I've got a doctor who comes in every Saturday to do dishes and the laundry. It takes a village. We use volunteers for everything from animal care to Petfinder photos." Giving second chances The nonprofit has hundreds of adoptions each year, and adoption appointments fill up regularly. But even with this, Gundlach said it's overwhelming, at times, not being able to help every animal, especially with animal surrenders on the rise. "We do everything we can," Gundlach said. "We are really good at what we do. But I know we can't help them all." Even with the small facility and staff, the shelter has been experiencing continuous and steady growth and has started to prioritize animal enrichment and training even more than they have previously. Jacob Williams has been a shelter attendant since 2020 and loves working with animals. "It is hard sometimes when people come in, and they're absolutely in love with a dog, but they're housing or lifestyle isn't equipped for the dog they want," Williams said. "We put the dog first. So I think that is one of the hardest things." Williams and Gundlach both noted that getting to see someone find the right animal is one of the best parts of the job and makes the hard work pay off. "We're big believers that everybody deserves a second chance," Gundlach said. "People have failed these guys before, which is why they're here. Our goal is to give them a fresh start, and a lot of people deserve that, too. It's heartwarming, it's touching, and it's purposeful to see that second chance be given on both sides. It's neat to find the right connection between a pet and owner." The nonprofit is open by appointment only, and more information about its animals and events can be found on its website humanesocietyoferiecounty.org.