ST. LOUIS COUNTY (First Alert 4) — The St. Louis County Health Director wants to get input from the community and animal rescue groups as he prepares to take over operations of the county's animal shelter.
The organization handed over management of Olivet's shelter to the nonprofit Association for the Protection of Animals (APA) in December 2022, four years after an audit recommended changes to the way the shelter is run.
As part of its audit in 2018, the Missouri Department of Agriculture found that the facility euthanized more than 1,000 dogs and cats, 25% of the pets it took in in 2018. The department also detailed an incident in which it alleged that facility employees asked surrendering pet owners to fill out a form indicating they consented to their pets being euthanized without knowing what they were signing.
Since APA has operated the shelter, the county says its partnership with APA has enabled 4,000 adoptions, fostered more than 1,600 pets and improved the adoption process.
The APA said the move will allow them to increase shelter capacity in the St. Louis area.
St. Louis County Public Health Director Dr. Kanika Cunningham will take over the role in 2023. It's been almost two years since APA took over, and she said the county has learned a lot from the organization.
“I like the idea of working with the community and having a community voice,” she said. “The shelter will look different than it has in years past, and I think the services we're going to provide in terms of operating an animal shelter will really be valued and appreciated by the community.”
Cunningham said he wants to focus his outreach programs in north St. Louis County, where the majority of the animals at the shelter come from, and by providing resources for both people and their pets, he hopes to reduce the number of lost and abandoned animals.
“When you think about the resources that are available to these families, access to food for their pets is important, but they also need access to food themselves,” she said. “But if we can step in and provide resources for these families, encourage new pet ownership, or empower pet owners.”
For more information on the animals available at APA, please click here.
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