Pike Animal Welfare Shelter announced Wednesday that they have reached full capacity and cannot accept any additional dogs at this time. The shelter, which serves as the only animal welfare facility in Pike County, reported that their indoor and outdoor pens are completely filled, with one dog even being housed in a crate.
According to the shelter’s social media update, they recently had to take in two dogs that were found running in traffic, further straining their limited resources. The organization emphasized that they are receiving more animals than are being adopted, despite their best efforts to accommodate all animals in need.
In a separate post the same day, the shelter addressed an incident where dogs were placed in their front pen without permission. The shelter explained that the animals were no longer there when evening staff arrived. They outlined several concerns with unauthorized animal drop-offs, including potential conflicts with existing shelter animals, welfare issues for animals left without water or proper shelter, the risk of pen damage requiring costly repairs, and the fundamental problem of limited space.
The shelter urged the public to be respectful of their protocols and understand the challenges they face in trying to help as many animals as possible. They specifically requested that people not place animals in their pens without permission and consider the welfare implications of such actions.
This capacity crisis comes after a challenging period for the facility. In the fall of 2024, the Pike County Animal Welfare Shelter was on the verge of closing permanently until community members rallied to support the organization, providing crucial assistance that allowed them to continue operations.
The shelter is currently seeking individuals interested in fostering or adopting animals to help alleviate the overcrowding situation. They emphasized that community support through responsible pet adoption and fostering is essential to their continued ability to serve animals in need throughout Pike County.
PAWS is located at 4224 N Meridian Rd in Petersburg and can be reached by phone at 812-354-9894.
Be sure to follow them on social media for all updates regarding PAWS.
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