Montgomery Humane Society: Why Your Lost Dog May Not Be Found
After a number of recent animal hoarding incidents across Alabama, the Montgomery Humane Society is looking into how that’s affecting its animal intake. What they believe is happening could change whether a pet you’ve lost could be found in town or across the country. If you lose your dog or cat and you live in Montgomery, it’s likely one of the first places you’ll look is here at the Montgomery Humane Society, but officials here are trying to investigate why they’re not having much luck lately uniting pets with their owners. Rosy is a stray found on the streets of Montgomery. She’s about 8 years old — to humane officials, that tells them she could belong to someone. Rosy is just one of about 80 pets placed in the lost and found section at the Montgomery Humane Society. Humane Society workers say about seven people a day come by to look for their pet, but with hardly any matches, they’re looking into the problem — a problem Executive Director of MHS, Steven Tears, says could involve the lack of communication between MHS and local rescues. “We’ve been watching for a few months now about stray animals being picked up on the streets of Montgomery and surrounding counties; housed in homes and not delivered to their local shelter giving people who have lost their loved-ones and opportunity to find them,” Said Tears. There’s no law as to where you can take the pet. But after taking in dozens of dogs in poor health from a rescue in north Alabama, Tears says not every rescue is equipped to help owners find their pets. “How much background are they doing on these rescues? It takes no certifications. You don’t have to qualify to be a rescue,” Said Tears. Jessica Parish has lost her dog before. She says she’d love to have just one place to look. “I’ve lost a dog and spent hours walking around the neighborhood and this would be the first place I would come,” Said Parish. The Montgomery Humane Society says they want to develop relationships with other rescues, that way they can help unite a pet and its owner before it’s too late. If you have a pet that may belong to someone, regardless of whether you’re a rescue facility, call the Montgomery Humane Society at 409-0622.
