BRYAN, Texas — Overcrowding is a pressing issue at animal shelters across the nation right now and Bryan-College Station is not immune to the problem.
The Aggieland Humane Society is currently overflowing with dogs.
Poppy the pitbull mix is not quite a year old yet, but she’s Aggieland Humane’s longest-waiting resident and has been in the shelter since March.
"She came in and she was just completely pink," said Ashley Quick, communications coordinator for the Aggieland Humane Society.
"She had a mass on her cheek and her eyes were just droopy and watery.”
A typical day for Poppy at the shelter starts with getting fed in her portable kennel.
She’s taken out and walked a few times a day by volunteers.
But mostly, she spends most of her time here, stuck in one place and surrounded by near-constant barking from other dogs.
According to Aggieland Humane staff, it’s normal for the shelter to go through periods of high occupancy, especially during the summers.
Right now, there are so many stray dogs coming in, however, that not only are portable kennels being brought in, but some animals are even spending time in staff offices.
“Right now, what is a little bit of an anomaly, you might say, is that we’ve seen our adoptions slow down," said Jennifer Young, Aggieland Humane executive director.
"I’m not sure what the reasoning behind that is.”
Some media outlets note that would-be adopters are dealing with inflation and a rough housing market, while others pose that spay and neuter surgeries may have declined during the pandemic.
But Aggieland staff can’t stand to see their pets waiting like this.
“I decided that Hippity Hop needed a break from the kennel," Quick said.
"She was here for five months and I just decided, you know, I’m going to bring her home for the weekend and see if she gets along with my six-year-old son, see if she gets along with my dog.”
You may recall meeting Hippity Hop from a KRHD story reported earlier this summer.
Hippity Hop had been the longest waiting resident before Poppy.
Quick says she wasn’t sure about adopting another dog after one of her pups passed away in December.
But sometimes, things just come together.
“No changes needed to happen," Quick said.
"She just fit in so seamlessly. I knew she needed a home and somebody to love her so – why not me?”
Aggieland Humane desperately needs both dog adopters and fosters.
Adoptions Friday and Saturday will be reduced to just $12 per animal.
Visit the Aggieland Humane Society website for more information.