Crockett County Pound braces for overcrowding, shares how owners can help

ALAMO, Tenn. — As we get ready for the summer, our local animal shelters are gearing up to deal with overcrowding.

Many area shelters have been dealing with overcrowding, especially when it comes to dogs.

We went out to the pound in Crockett County to see what they do to combat the issue. Samantha Elmore with Crockett County Animal Control tells us about the adoption events they host.

“When we get full we do them a lot. We try to do them at least once a month. Sometimes, when we’re really full, we’ll do one every weekend. We are just lucky that we have a community of volunteers and fosters that step forward to help when the kennels get really tight,” said Elmore.

At these adoption events, pets are adopted out at the state minimum price of $25. Included in that price is deworming, vaccines, spay or neuter, and a leash and collar.

At this time, the Crockett County Pound is not adopting out unaltered pets. Here’s why you should spay or neuter your dog as soon as possible.

“An unaltered dog and its puppies can multiply to 60,000 unaltered dogs within six years. So, you know, a lot of people think that this one litter of puppies won’t cause such an impact, but overall, it really can,” said Elmore.

According to the American Kennel Club, the average litter is 5 to 6 dogs and can have up to two litters a year.

Within one year, this could lead to over 200 puppies if left unaltered. Some dog breeds, when in good health, can have up to 12 puppies in a single litter.

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