Government
BY RACHEL LELAND
Pearland Animal Shelter faces space problems for medium, large dogs
What residents should know
“We don’t get in the business to put animals to sleep. But we understand that public safety and the well-being of animals in our communities is
Yet, the shelter’s struggle with keeping kennels available for new dogs began much earlier, Rogers said. Many shelters completely shut down during the height of the pandemic, which meant shelter sta were not patrolling the streets for strays. That contributed to a spike in stray dog and cat populations, which Rogers said communities—both locally and nationwide— have not recovered from. “If you call most of the shelters around in the Gulf Coast area and say that you found a stray animal, the large portion of them are not going to be able to help you,” Rogers said. “They’re not going to take the stray in Houston, Harris County, Fort Bend, even us in Pearland.”
Like many animal shelters across Texas and the United States, the Pearland Animal Shelter & Adoption Center—a division within the Pearland Police Department—faces serious capacity challenges, said Chad Rogers, a Pearland police o cer who also serves as the shelter’s public information o cer. The shelter faces capacity challenges for dogs for myriad reasons, including policies put in place following the breakout of COVID-19 in 2020 and recent large-scale rescue operations, Rogers said. For example, in August, Pearland Police Department o cers seized 85 dogs who had likely spent their entire lives inside one Pearland home, Rogers said.
important. So we do what we need to do, but we wish there were other options.” CHAD RODGERS, PEARLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER
What else?
It’s the shelter’s policy not to take in new dogs if there are no empty kennels, and on Jan. 18, the shelter had no kennels for medium and large dogs, Animal Services Manager John Fischer said. If a dog is injured or poses a public safety issue, the shelter will take the dog in, but the dog that has been sheltered the longest will be euthanized for space, Rogers said. The shelter hasn’t had to euthanize for space in recent years, except for 2023, Rogers said. “We’re going to have to hang onto animals,” Rogers said. “We’re going to have to do a massive spay and neuter e ort over the next couple of years in hopes that the numbers balance out.” The center is seeking volunteers as well to help with the animals and assist with o -site adoption, according to the shelter’s website.
Shelter intake
Pearland hasn’t been able to take in as many stray dogs due to capacity challenges, which date back to 2020, Rogers said.
Yearly intake of dogs
Current kennel capacity
1,108
1,200
Small dogs: 44
911
883
Total: 103
1,000
Large-to- medium dogs: 59
800
0 600
728
SOURCES: PEARLAND ANIMAL SHELTER, TEXAS OFFICE OF COURT ADMINISTRATION COMMUNITY IMPACT
2020
2021
2022
2023
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