WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas — The Fourth of July holiday is just a few days away. The days after are some of the busiest of the year for the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter (WRCAS).
“July 5, July 6, July 7, that short period of time right after the Fourth of July is when we get the most stray lost dogs in the shelter because they’ve been running scared,” April Peiffer, the community programs coordinator for the WRCAS, said.
Peiffer said consistently for the past two years, the shelter has been overcrowded. Currently, they have 237 dogs, but their normal manageable number is 110.
Peiffer's guess as to why that could be? The increasing cost of owning and caring for a pet nowadays.
“The cost of veterinary care, the cost of just caring for a pet right now is much higher than it used to be, dog food, cat food, all of those things,” Peiffer said.
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For those struggling, the shelter does have a public pet pantry on site that gives out free dog or cat food, so the animals can stay at homes as opposed to the crowded shelters.
But Peiffer said especially in the summer and with the Texas heat, it’s an ongoing challenge to give these dogs all the attention they need.
“It’s a little more difficult to give them that long period of time out of the kennel that they really need because it’s just a little too hot,” Peiffer said.
To get more animals in homes and out of the shelter, this weekend, the shelter offered $4 adoptions for dogs over 30 pounds. They plan to do another promotion this week ahead of the Fourth of July holiday.
Kelli Borrego and her granddaughter, Journee Maskerines, wanted to help out the shelter this weekend. They adopted a puppy named Winnie on Sunday.
“We have been looking for a puppy to add to our family for a while now,” Borrego said. “We get really super sad when we see the commercials of the all the animals in shelters, and why not, for your first animal, go to a shelter and help that program out?”
They were also thrilled with all of the help the shelter gives to them after they adopt the dog. Peiffer said every adoption fee includes the dog’s spay or neuter surgery, vaccinations, microchip and a voucher toward a wellness exam with a participating veterinary clinic.
How to keep your dogs safe for the Fourth of July
Since fireworks can startle dogs and make them run away, the WCRAS has some tips so they don’t end up in an already overcrowded shelter:
- Check that all fencing at your home are fixed
- Check all windows are not open and broken
- Give your pet a safe place during the loudest portion of the fireworks (nice bedding, turn on the TV/music)
- Give them a long-lasting chew treat
- Make sure their microchips are up to date and collars and tags are on
The shelter plans to make the announcement about the Fourth of July adoption special fee this Monday. Keep checking their Facebook page for any updates.
How to help if you're not ready to adopt
Even if you're not quite ready to make the full commitment to a new pet, there are several other ways to get involved through fostering.
The shelter operates a Doggy Day Out program, where a possible owner can get introduced to a dog who has been pre-qualified for that program, then take care of the dog for the day and return them by 5:30 p.m.
If you want a little longer stay with the dog, you can participate in Weekend Getaways, where you can pick a dog up from Friday through Sunday or any days that are your weekend.
Peiffer said even if you can help take a dog out of the shelter for just a few hours, they would be extremely grateful.
"If you can come care for a dog for two hours, we are going to let you do that," Peiffer said. "That means we are not caring for that dog for two hours, and that means we can care for another dog for two hours, so it's always a win, no matter the period of time."
You can learn more about their fostering programs on their website.