Bladen County Animal Shelter full, dozens of dogs need to be adopted

BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — The Bladen County Animal Shelter is at capacity and they need your help providing dogs with homes.

The shelter is packed with nearly 60 dogs that need to be adopted. Manager, Karen Suggs says the shelter usually reaches capacity each year around this time.

Occasionally, when it gets too full officials have no choice but to put the dogs down. That is why Rachael Jackson picked up a puppy Wednesday afternoon.

“Cause I don’t want them to get put to sleep, I don’t want them to get put down,” Jackson said.

To avoid putting dogs to sleep, the shelter runs a December special in hopes of finding the pups a home. The special waives adoption fees for the rest of the month, the only thing you have to pay for is the $25 vaccination fee.

Although Jackson’s new pup is a Christmas gift she warns others to make sure they know what they are signing up for.

“I don’t think you should just get a puppy as a gift unless you know who you get it for is going to take care of it really good. Because a lot of people around Christmas time and birthdays, and holidays just get puppies and then when they get bigger and they’re not cute and small anymore they just bring them back to the pound,” Jackson said.

Suggs says the hardest part for the shelter is finding a family for the older dogs.

“This time of the year everybody wants puppies and kittens so it is harder to get the older dogs and the senior animals adopted. Ya know, we would love for someone to come in here and say I want a senior dog or and older one,” Suggs said.

Just like puppies, older dogs like this guy need a good home too.

“Come get a puppy, or come get a big dog the old ones need love too,” Jackson said.

If you cannot adopt you can still help, the shelter is always accepting donations like food, toys, and blankets for all the animals.