Animal shelters work together to help dogs have a better chance at being adopted

January 21st, 2021 Stories

HAILEY, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — When a dog arrives at the Mountain Humane Animal Shelter, the staff immediately starts learning the dog’s needs and what type of home the dog would be the happiest in.

“For example, an animal, a dog that can’t be off lease for a variety of reasons, resource guarding, too protective of their owners, whatever the reason is for the dog not being safe off-leash,” said Kelly Mitchell, who is the Director of Animal Operations at the Mountain Humane Animal Shelter.

If they determine that a dog wouldn’t be successful in Blaine County, through the Transfer Coalition Program they are able to work with other shelters where the animal would have a better chance at being adopted.

“We’re not particularly successful with adopting out large number of small animals, or pocket pets and they’re called in shelters, so we like to transfer those to shelters that have a large number of adoptions with small pets, pocket pets, we also have a hard time with dogs that require to be on a leash,” said Mitchell.

It works the other way around, the Gooding County Animal Shelter often transfers huskies to Hailey.

“All the rescues that help me and all the transporters that help me, it takes a village, and I’ve got a big village helping me with this to keep this a no-kill shelter,” said Mike Kelley at the Gooding County Animal Shelter.

That’s the whole point of the Transfer Coalition Program, to give dogs a second chance at a happy life.

“It’s really an effort to make sure that every animal, regardless of where they are is granted a second chance,” said Mitchell.