Pandemic could cause rural animal shelters like SPCA of Polk County to close without donations

POLK COUNTY, Texas - The Polk County Animal Shelter is a 501C non-profit organization that gets no funding from the city county or state. It’s public donations that allow the shelter to save lives.

Donations are down but the need continues to rise.

"We’re struggling to deal with the sheer number of intakes we deal with on a daily basis," said Ron Hornsby Executive Director of the SPCA of Polk County. "Last year, we had about 2,000 animals, which is about a 50% increase for what we normally do."

The SPCA Polk County Shelter is a no-kill shelter.

"We do everything we can possibly do to find them a suitable home," Hornsby said. "We don’t euthanize animals for any reason, other than real emergency medical situations, and only on the direction of a qualified veterinarian."

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If things weren’t bad enough, the shelter needs a new roof and other renovations. Some of the animals have been here for more than a year.

"They are neglected and abused, abandoned, and we’ve got to do everything we can to find the right home for them and that’s what we are going to do."

One dog was used as a bait dog.

"She’s really been through the ringer and besides all the things people have done to her, she is the most sweet gentle soul and it breaks our hearts," said Shelter office manager Jessica Smallwood.

"Because I care about animals and I just want to help them," said Tammy Lawson, a volunteer at the shelter. "I go home and I cry, it’s sad to come here knowing they don’t have the funds to help all these animals in this shelter."

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"We are desperate, we are seriously losing money and we can’t keep going this way," Hornsby said.

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