We are proud to be the only open-admission shelter in the City of St. Louis, maintaining an impressive life-saving rate of 98%. This achievement represents one of the most challenging aspects of our work. Despite partnering with a network of like-minded rescue organizations, we continue to face a record number of lost animals entering our shelter. Because of this constant influx, we are unable to accept animals brought in by the public. With zero available space, we must prioritize taking in animals brought to us daily by Animal Control Officers.
For over a year, our shelter has been operating beyond capacity. We’ve relied on pop-up kennels, and now we have no additional space to accommodate more animals. While we are happy to offer resources and support, we strongly encourage community members to foster lost pets they find.
It’s important to note that most lost dogs do not wander far from home. Studies show that fostering a lost dog and placing signs in the area where the dog was found significantly increases the chances of reuniting the pet with its owner compared to bringing the animal to a shelter.
We ask you to take the following steps if you find a lost pet:
1. Keep the dog for at least 48 hours.
2. Visit the nearest veterinary clinic to have the dog or cat scanned for a microchip.
3. Hang signs near the location where you found the pet.
4. Share the pet’s information and photo on Facebook lost pet groups, Nextdoor, and other neighborhood pages.
If you are willing to foster the pet for us, we can add them to our system and provide all the necessary supplies and support.
For cats, remember that many outdoor cats belong to someone. If a stray cat appears healthy, it’s often best to leave them where they are, as they are likely to return home on their own.
Bringing lost animals to the shelter is no longer the most effective immediate solution. Instead, fostering and networking are the best ways to help reunite pets with their owners. If an animal remains unclaimed during the required five-day stray hold and you are fostering for us, the pet will then become eligible for adoption.
We are proud of our successful efforts to care for the city’s animals, protect them from inhumane treatment, and safeguard the public from stray or potentially dangerous animals. However, we rely on the community’s support to implement these new processes and reunite pets with their families. Together, we can continue to provide compassionate care and improve outcomes for St. Louis’ beloved pets.