At the overcrowded Center for Animal Rescue and Enrichment of St. Louis, some dogs are living in outdoor kennels with fans and misters to try to keep them cool. The shelter’s facility is not large enough to house all of its animals indoors.
This is not an isolated issue. Most animal shelters in St. Louis and nationwide are struggling with overpopulation. CARE STL has managed the city animal shelter since 2019. Now, its contract might expire due to lack of city funding, giving control of the shelter back to the city. Advocates are concerned that this move could result in higher rates of euthanasia and cause other problems.
As housing insecurity rises, more people are forced to give up their pets – and this was only exacerbated by the May 16 tornado.
Weng Horak, founder and CEO of CARE STL, said the nonprofit took in almost 100 dogs temporarily after their owners lost their homes to the storm. As of June 9, 28 dogs displaced by the tornado were still in the shelter’s care temporarily – others had to be permanently left there.
“The others are unfortunately surrendered because they really don’t have a home to go to,” Horak said. “And I think we’ll be seeing more of that.”
Alisha Vianello, executive director of Gateway Pet Guardians in East St. Louis, said a lack of pet friendly housing and affordable pet care contributes to overpopulation.
“Affordable housing in general is an issue, and then when you [add] being able to have the pets that you have there, really really creates some challenges,” Vianello said.
Additionally, she says that since spay and neuter surgeries were not considered essential during the COVID-19 pandemic, waitlists for those surgeries now are still incredibly long.
City shelter’s uncertain future
CARE STL took control of the city’s animal shelter in 2019 when its euthanasia rate was 55%.
Now, the city might take back ownership. Horak said she was surprised the city is only guaranteeing their contract with CARE STL through December. The city cut the Department of Health budget this fiscal year, also cutting funding for the shelter.
Justen Hauser, the Environmental Health Services bureau chief who oversees Animal Care and Control, said the city is exploring its options, including extending the contract with CARE STL or regaining control over shelter operations. That decision won’t come for several months, he said.
If the city does take back control, the shelter will likely be down to just one building. CARE STL currently uses its second building to separate sick animals and house all of its cats, meaning the shelter might lose the space for isolation to prevent the spread of diseases.
Horak said she is working to negotiate with the city to move all of the animals to her organization’s newer, larger building on Convention Plaza that it is preparing to move to in December 2026. She said the current building, which only has the capacity to hold 63 dogs, is housing 110.
She worries that the city will not be able to do some of the work that her organization does, which could lead to increased euthanasia.
“We don’t know if they will have a volunteer program, foster program,” Horak said. “We don’t know if they are going to be able to send animals out for adoption.”
Michelle Critzas, a volunteer trainer at CARE STL, is also concerned about the future of the shelter if it is not operated by CARE.
“I think with CARE, the dogs get a chance,” Critzas said. “I really appreciate the dedication of the staff and the volunteers.”
CARE STL will continue to operate as a separate private shelter even if it does lose the city contract, Horak said.
Shelter concerns at the county
The county animal shelter has already experienced the spread of disease due to overcrowding. Parvovirus broke out in the shelter last month, to the euthanasia of 19 dogs.
Since St. Louis County resumed control of its shelter from the Animal Protective Association in February, the shelter has experienced multiple problems. The St. Louis County Animal Care and Control is operating without a license after three failed inspections.
Malik Johnson, its new director, thinks they can turn things around.
“We have to keep up to the standard because our animals suffer when we don’t,” Johnson said. “So we have to ensure that our animals are properly taken care of, our kennels are always clean and safe and in great condition as well as our shelter.”
He said he has implemented a daily checklist for employees and volunteers to ensure that the facility is clean and up to code. He is also working to expand the foster and volunteer programs.
The next inspection is on June 30.
The St. Louis County Council has been following shelter operations since the county regained control. On June 12, five people testified about the shelter's issues before the council in response to subpoenas. Another six are expected to testify on June 26.
Those who received subpoenas include current and former Animal Care and Control employees, APA representatives and Department of Agriculture inspectors.
The council is also considering a proposal from St. Louis County Executive Sam Page requesting $3 million of NFL settlement funds to go toward improving the shelter. On June 13, Page tacked on another $17.8 million to that.
In a memo, Page said the funds would go toward improvements, including replacing the HVAC system, additional space for large kennels and increased water and sewer capacity.
