According to a year-end report for 2020 provided by Chief of Police Randy Ellison, a total of 485 dogs have found new and better lives, thanks to the Betty Gambrell Animal Shelter—and that’s just the amount of dogs saved through agency transfers. That number does not include the amount of furry friends saved through other measures.
Overall, 593 dogs were received by shelter staff throughout last calendar year. Of those 593 dogs, 181 were picked up inside the city limits. Another 412 were seized from the county. Seventeen dogs were adopted last year, 49 were returned to owners, and 485 were transferred to rescues. Unfortunately, three dogs escaped, seven dogs died from uncontrollable causes, and 13 (eight from the city, five from the county) were euthanized as a result of being not fit for adoption due to circumstances like being ran over, distemper, parvovirus, and so on.
Although even one euthanization is seemingly too many, the shelter should be commended for only putting down 13 dogs out of 593 total intakes, which calculates to just 2.19 percent. To be considered a no-kill facility, a shelter must maintain a figure of 5 percent or less in regard to euthanizations.
The total intake of 593 for 2020 is significantly lower than the total intake for 2019, which was 667, an approximate 11 percent difference.
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, what better way to show some love to area canines than adopting from the Betty Gambrell Animal Shelter? Included above this article are three candidates for consideration: Gabby, a female cream and white bulldog; Mocha, a female tricolor bulldog; and Sarah, a female black lab.
If adopting a new pet isn’t in the cards for you right now, consider making a donation. The shelter will always welcome blankets, unopened food, and just good ol’ time, elbow grease, and a heart that loves animals.