Chattahoochee Humane Society Combats Overcrowding
Published 9:30 am Tuesday, June 10, 2025
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Since 2023, the Chattahoochee Humane Society has not had to euthanize animals due to space constraints. The shelter’s status as a no-kill shelter is in jeopardy after a mass influx of mistreated and abandoned animals. The shelter is committed to maintaining a “no-kill” status despite recent hardships.
The staff works tirelessly to avoid the necessity for euthanizing animals to increase space in the shelter, also advocating for the animals they care for in the meantime. They continue to work closely with rescues and potential foster homes for the animals. Efforts to increase adoptions are also being explored.
Euthanasia is the last resort for shelters, and for no-kill shelters, the only reasons for the process involve animals with severe behavioral issues, such as aggression, or animals that are critically or terminally injured.
A recent influx of over two dozen dogs has caused the shelter to run out of space. The shelter’s capacity of 47 has been exceeded, with numbers reaching up to 70, with more arrivals each day. Adoption efforts relieve the pressure. However, the numbers coming in are greater than the numbers leaving the shelter.
Due to limited space caused by overcrowding, dogs are being kept three to four to a kennel, as opposed to one per kennel, as the facility is designed to house. These living conditions are not ideal for the animals.
Phelicia Hadaway, the shelter’s director, stated that if the shelter is forced into a kill shelter status, it would take a year to regain status as a no-kill shelter. If the shelter were to revert, it would be Hadaway and her team that would have to make the decision.
“We’re doing everything we can to never revert back to that, but we need as much help as we can get,” Hadaway stated regarding reversion to a kill shelter.
The crisis is not limited to the Chattahoochee Humane Society; others in the county are experiencing the same hardships.
To avoid consideration of euthanasia, the shelter would have to re-home all 25 of the newly acquired animals.
When asked how the local community could support the shelter’s efforts, Hadaway suggested that spaying and neutering pets as a population control measure would be the first step. For those who cannot afford the procedures outright, the CHS has vouchers for affordable vet clinics in the local area.
Volunteer efforts are also welcome at the shelter, socializing the animals in preparation for a new home, taking them for walks, and advocating for their adoption. For those who cannot volunteer in person, sharing the profiles of the animals across social media helps promote adoption.
For information about how to volunteer or adopt as well as how to donate, contact the Chattahoochee Humane Society, 3265 Fairfax Bypass, Valley, AL, 334-756-9377 or www.chatthumanesociety.org
