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Over 100 unwanted animals are currently being housed at Chattahoochee Humane Society, which only has space for 48 dog kennels. 

“It’s a vicious cycle,” said longtime Volunteer Dale Frazer.

The shelter has 16 indoor kennels and recently opened 32 outdoor kennels that they call the hill kennels. The city of Valley began a construction project to help close off the hill kennels from the elements and give them heating and air conditioning for times like this week, when a winter weather warning has been announced. 

With 115 total animals being cared for by the Chattahoochee Humanity Society, Frazer said they are in a crisis. If the shelter doesn’t get more adoptions or fosters soon, they may risk losing their hard-fought no-kill shelter designation. 

The no-kill shelter designation states that a shelter has a euthanization rate of 10 percent or less of the total intake number. Chattahoochee Humane Society received its designation in 2023 and its staff has not had to euthanize for space for about a year. 

However, with so many homeless and unwanted animals, they are simply running out of space to put them. Every day, more strays are brought in by the local animal control officers and the owner surrenders. 

There are currently six seven-day stray holds in the system, meaning that in the last week alone, that many animals were surrendered. Around 30 animals are currently being fostered by friends of the shelter. 

Over the last year and a half, the shelter has undergone a total transformation, culminating from a new director and a completely new staff. Director Amber Mingin has worked to revamp the shelter’s website, rebuild trust with the community and work toward the “no-kill shelter” goal, all of which she has accomplished.

The shelter even started opening on Saturdays from 12 to 4 p.m. to give people who work during the week an extra day to come by and adopt. 

Frazer said the public has been much more engaged in the last year or two. 

“The community has really stepped up,” Frazer said. 

But If sterilization can help the problem, what’s the hold up? While many counties in Alabama have spay/neuter programs, like Lee County’s SNYP program, unfortunately Chambers is not one of them. 

The shelter does offer vouchers for households who fit in a certain income bracket. But there are only two veterinarians in the county and they are constantly inundated with appointments. 

At the end of the day, the overpopulation problem in Chambers County will continue until law makers force change from the top. Many shelter dogs wind up making the trip up to rescue organizations in the northern states, where there are strict spay/neuter laws. 

Some states even require a special license for animal breeding. In states with more stringent requirements, there are less animals in shelters. 

Animal control can do more to get at the root of the issue as well. Visiting schools to teach children about proper animal care at a young age or educating families on the importance of spaying and neutering pets. 

Residents can help by fostering, adopting or even volunteering. Frazer said there is a job for everyone at the shelter, whether it’s giving a kennel-bound dog a nice walk, doing laundry, washing dog and cat bowls or cleaning out kennels. 

Other ways to help would be donating supplies or money that can go toward dog and cat food, bedding, cleaning supplies and all the other little things it takes to care for over 100 animals.