BOISE, Idaho — For a couple of years now, Boise has been a hotspot for adopting pets.
In fact, Idaho Humane Society’s Public Relations Assistant Laurien Mavey said, “Boise is so awesome about adopting.”
But if you are in the market for a new furry companion, you might not find what you are hoping for at the Idaho Humane Society because they are experiencing a dog shortage. Although it isn't what the facility is used to seeing, they said the shortage is a good thing.
Mavey said this is because more people are spaying and neutering their pets, which is a message they have worked hard on getting across. This trend is freeing up some of the kennels at their facility, which gives them more room in helping other shelters.
"People aren't having as many unplanned or unwanted litters. That just means that we are able to give those dogs that are in over-crowded shelters and are facing that possible euthanasia by bringing them in here,” Mavey said.
The Idaho Humane Society can host more weekly transfers from local facilities in Jerome, Twin Falls, and Burley. They also receive dogs from Louisiana and Texas. Mavey said dogs from other states get adopted quicker compared to those from the Gem State.
“A lot of times these dogs that are transferred from other states have already received vet care. They are already spayed and neutered. They are often very friendly because they were strays that ran around the streets and relied on people,” Mavey said.
Mavey also mentioned the vet care dogs go through prior to coming to the shelter. It often takes more time for dogs coming from rural areas to receive treatment, which makes it harder for them to be adopted.
"Some of the dogs we get from smaller shelters from rural Idaho might have ran around a farm all their lives. They don't have that confidence around people. They are a little bit more skittish or timid,” Mavey said.
A few weeks ago, Mavey said the facility received a large transfer of dogs from Louisiana. Those dogs had sat in the Louisiana shelter for about six months, but when they made it to Boise, they were adopted over the weekend.
Mavey says they still have some dogs available on their website, and they also offer a vet program with payment plan options.
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