Front Street shelter reports high intake, falling adoptions and interim kennel repairs

Front Street shelter leadership told the Animal Well-being Commission that shelter intake and outcomes remain strained and that staff will run interim kennel repairs while continuing outreach and vaccine clinics.

Interim manager Hinderman overviewed monthly figures and operational updates: in the most recent reporting period the shelter logged 466 dog intakes and 468 cat intakes with an overall live-release rate of 83% (91% for dogs, 75% for cats). She reported 255 dog adoptions, 81 cat adoptions and 131 dogs returned to owner during the period; the shelter recorded 42 dog euthanasias and six cat euthanasias for the reporting window.

Hinderman said adoption volume for adult and puppy large-breed dogs is down about 12% compared with April of last year, and staff continue to run targeted adoption and foster campaigns to create kennel space. “We did an adoption push and we had some success, but we are still pretty full,” she said, noting that short-term foster and community partners are used to empty buildings when construction occurs.

To address staff safety and animal welfare, the shelter started a single-kennel mockup to test several fixes: removal of a trip-prone concrete curb (to be replaced with a grated surface), new kennel latches, and pulley adjustments to reduce repetitive-motion strain. Hinderman said the pilot kennel should be completed and tested within days so staff can approve design changes before wider work begins.

On staffing, Hinderman reported progress in recruitment but noted continuing challenges in hiring veterinarians and other technical roles. The vaccine clinic program, in operation since 2022, has served more than 13,600 pets with vaccines and microchips to date. Hinderman said staff will continue to report data to commissioners and to coordinate with volunteers and community partners for adoption and sterilization events.

The commission requested quarterly operational metrics tied to any changes in redemption policy and asked staff to return with draft ordinance language and implementation details for the spay/neuter recommendation.