Readers respond to animal shelter overcrowding

The Everett Animal Shelter received about 100 phone calls and a dozen visitors responding to Wednesday's Times article on crowding issues at the shelter, said shelter director Bud Wessman.

The Times of Snohomish County reported that the shelter is caring for about 9,000 animals per year when it only is designed to care for about 3,500 per year.

Unlike privately run shelters in the county, the Everett shelter contracts with many Snohomish County cities to take stray and abandoned animals and it has a policy to not turn animals away.

As a result, the shelter has to put to death about 750 animals per year strictly for space reasons, according to Wessman. These are animals that would otherwise be adoptable, Wessman said.

A few Everett City Council members are trying to find a solution to the problem.

Specifically, callers and those who stopped by the shelter Wednesday were interested in adopting one of the three eight-week-old Jack Russell terrier puppies, two of which were pictured in the story with Wessman, he said.

The puppies, Sprinkles, Frosting and Pupcake, are currently in foster care, but are expected to returning to the shelter at about noon Sunday and will be available for adoption. Wessman expects about 50 people to show up at the shelter to participate in a lottery for the puppies.

For more information call the animal shelter during business hours at 425-257-6000.