Siemer didn't return several telephone calls to his city hall office from the Idaho Mountain Express. McCann, who became the shelter's manager four months ago, said she believes the shelter can come up with better solutions to killing the animals. Temporary periods of overcrowding have been caused by unthinking people anonymously dropping off unwanted dogs and cats in the dead of night. During a two-week period in January, McCann said, about 30 puppies were left at the shelter's doorstep. McCann said the community must be part of the solution to potential overcrowding at the shelter.
People see the shelter as a problem solver rather than taking responsibility to care for their pets.
Bringing a pet to a shelter, McCann said, should be a last resort, after the owner has done everything in his or her power to keep the pet. The bulk of the shelter's funding, she said, comes from private sources and fund-raisers. According to agreements between the shelter and the valley's cities, the shelter is bound to take in all dogs and cats delivered by any animal control officer. The agreements also call for the destruction of animals that remain unclaimed after five days. McCann said the agreements were made when the shelter euthanized animals.