The Polk County Humane Society, located across from Happy Joe’s Pizza and Ice Cream Parlor on the Southside of town, is looking for people to adopt. The kennel is currently as full as it’s ever been, and there aren’t enough animals going out compared to the rate they’re coming in.
One of the kennel assistants at the Humane Society, Dakota Kjos, spoke more on the need for adoption and the Humane Society’s problem. “Currently, right now, the Humane Society is at its limit, especially for Cats,” said Kjos. “We have an open contract with the Crookston Police Department, and they’ll bring anything into our pound that they find on the streets. Because we are so full, we can’t take any more animals at this time because no animals are going out.”
Kjos also noted that there had been more surrenders the last couple of weeks than they’re used to, seeing that most Humane Societies are full and having trouble getting animals adopted. Crookston is having a tough time providing quality care due to the number of animals and volunteers.
Kjos talked about how cats are currently the biggest issue and why they keep receiving more than other animals. “A lot of people will get cats and then bring them in to us and surrender them,” said Kjos. “Or sometimes they just let them go, and they end up in our facility anyways where they remain for months on end. With dogs, we can get them out a lot faster, but regardless of the animal, it’s disappointing we can’t find them proper homes, and this is what their life is like.”
Due to the number of animals the Humane Society has, Kjos mentioned more volunteers certainly wouldn’t hurt. “We do appreciate our volunteers because they are a big help in rehabilitating the animals,” said Kjos. “With that, they would come in and pet the animals and play with them, basically give them the love and affection that they would have in their own home.”
If you’re interested in volunteering, you can stop by the Humane Society anytime during operational hours. Operational hours are from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. six days a week, with Sunday the exception.
The cost for adoption ranges depending on the kind of animal and its condition. Kjos said the adoption price is typically around $150-230, which is still much cheaper than buying from a breeder.
