OLIVETTE — The nonprofit that operates St. Louis County’s animal shelter has ushered in a surge of adoptions, intakes and volunteer hours since it took over operations a year ago, according to the group’s numbers.
The county hired the Animal Protective Association to run its shelter based on a recommendation made in a 2019 audit that shed light on poor conditions and high kill rates.
The APA has since turned operations around since it took over in early December last year, the organization said in a news release this week. Adoptions increased more than threefold from 452 last year to 2,093 this year. Intakes rose from 1,630 to 4,957, a more than 200% increase.
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Volunteer hours increased from 11,300 to more than 38,500, and the organization introduced a fostering program, a mark of the nonprofit’s robust network of supporters. The APA also reunited more pets with their families — from 330 to more than 1,000.
“We look forward to what we can accomplish in the coming year at APA Olivette and are excited to continue our mission of helping even more animals in 2024,” CEO Sarah Javier said.
Despite being closed someone has to take care of the dogs and cats at the Humane Society of Missouri. Several staff members and volunteers braved the snow on Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022 to take care of the animals in the shelter's care. Adoption center director Anne Vincent urges community members to call their animal abuse hotline if they are concerned about an animal's welfare during extreme winter weather.
Video by Colter Peterson, cpeterson@post-dispatch.com
