Animals

Abandoned, stray animals flood Twin Cities shelters after the holiday weekend

A small kitten paws at a cage
A stray kitten turned in over Fourth of July weekend at the Animal Humane Society in Woodbury, Minn., sits and paws at the cage door.
Aaliyah Demry | MPR News

Updated: 9:03 a.m.

Animal shelters in the Twin Cities saw an increase in the number of stray and abandoned animals in their facilities over the Fourth of July weekend.

The Animal Humane Society locations of Coon Rapids, Woodbury and Golden Valley report a total of 74 turn-ins of stray animals Friday through Monday. On average the locations take in about six animals a day.

The cats, dogs and other pets arrive without warning, forcing staff to figure out how to take care of them in addition to the animals they already have.

A dog standing on its back legs
A 7-month-old puppy came in the Animal Humane Society's Woodbury, Minn., shelter over Fourth of July weekend.
Aaliyah Demry | MPR News

Woodbury shelter veterinary technician Kris Bulau said it can be difficult to take care of so many animals at one time.

“We have to make sure that we have the space and have the time and could actively take as good care of them as we possibly can,” Bulau said.

Shelter Operations Manager in Woodbury adds that the Humane Society can help with supplies for people who have to wait to bring animals in.

A woman holds a kitten
Astrid Roed, shelter operations manager at the Animal Humane Society, poses with a turned-in stray kitten in Woodbury, Minn.
Aaliyah Demry | MPR News

“It’s nice that they think of us coming here but what we try to do is really get those people to make appointments because we need to plan for the animals that come to our site so we have the space for them,” she said.

Roed says one cause of the high numbers could be the season.

“There’s the fireworks and all the things that go on every weekend or even everyday that scares an animal and they open an door and it bolts out,” the shelter manager said.

The Animal Humane Society shelters begin the adoption process after five days to give people a chance to be reunited with their lost pets.

A close up of a dog in a cage
A stray boxer breed dog that was turned in over the Fourth of July weekend sits in a cage at the Animal Humane Society in Woodbury, Minn.
Aaliyah Demry | MPR News

Correction (July 6, 2023): An earlier version of this story misstated one of the locations of the Animal Humane Society. The story has been updated.