The Cortez Animal Shelter sees fewer adoptions during the summer months, leading to an increase in animals at the shelter as people surrender their pets ahead of summer break.

Kennel Supervisor Jennifer Crouse says that the number of animals at the shelter fluctuates daily.

“We are an impound facility for the Police Department and the Sheriff’s department,” she said Thursday. “We get impounded animals on a daily basis.”

As of June 1, the shelter had five dogs and 12 cats available for adoption, according to Crouse. These numbers can change day-to-day as more animals are surrendered.

“On cats we are full to capacity; on dogs we are not full,” Crouse said. “That could change overnight.”

Crouse explained that the adoption trend usually occurs this time of year.

“Adoptions generally go down when school lets out because people go on vacation, they don’t have time. It’s the same with fall. When school starts, it tends to go down as well.”

The shelter has been receiving lots of requests to take in kittens.

“There’s an overabundance of kittens in the county,” Crouse said.

The shelter also has taken in more dogs in recent months, an increase that she attributed to people who have moved out of their home or who have had rental problems.

For Pet’s Sake Humane Society stated in its most recent newsletter that in the 40 years of its existence, “over 10,000 pets have been spayed or neutered.” About 6,000 cats have been fixed in the 15 years since the Feral Cat Project was started, and thousands of pets were placed in forever homes, thanks to For Pet’s Sake’s help.

The group provides foster care for animals waiting to be adopted, financial assistance “for spaying and neutering pets,” helps “dogs and cats find forever homes,” manages feral cat colonies, feeds animals that are spayed or neutered and are hungry, and financially assists pet owners with “emergency vet care.”

Lynn Dyer from the organization told the Journal reporter that they don’t have a physical building; instead, the pets are sent to “no-kill shelters on the I-70 corridor.”

“There is a great need for puppies and kittens” in that area of the state, Dyer stated. Strict spay and neuter laws mean that there is a shortage of pets available for families to adopt.

“We don’t adopt locally at all,” Dyer said.

For Pet’s Sake Humane Society is a volunteer group dedicated to helping animals in Montezuma and Dolores counties. According to their website, this group is nonprofit, and “100% of donations go directly to helping animals.”