Kearns/Photo by KARTS
By William Kearns
There is no doubt we love our pets in America. In fact, according to a recent report from the American Pet Products Association, Americans spent $95.7 billion on their pets in 2019 alone. But our region has had a dirty little secret or an inconvenient truth and it has nothing to do with Al Gore or climate change. There is a large portion of our society that still treats pets like they are disposable. In rescue you hear all the excuses, nothing surprises you. Pets can be easily given up for behavioral issues, age, shedding, destruction of furniture and the old standby, “we are moving and can’t take them with us”.
That is where the rescue community comes in, for better or worse we assume the responsibility of trying to find a home for these forgotten souls. We at least want to give them a chance to escape our overcrowded Municipal Shelter, Amarillo Animal Management & Welfare. One of the tools I try to provide to the public is a social media page on Facebook called the Amarillo Shelter Friends- ASF. This page publishes weekly albums for both dogs and cats. It tells the story for one day in the life of the shelter, hundreds of dogs and as many as 40 cats can be at the shelter at any given time. But we know it's just a glimpse of the pets that go in and out the revolving door of the shelter. It is certainly not cumulative and cannot be substituted for looking for your own pets if they are lost, in person.
Sadly, reclaim rates are usually around 12% many of these pets do not have someone looking for them, many others were brought in by the very people who they love. Unconditional love rewarded by a human letting them down. Scared, anxious and often completely shut down these pets are not easy to market for adoption. There are exceptions, but honestly most will need some TLC and someone who understands the shelter pet. We have some outstanding local rescues and advocate groups that take on much of the burden. But often the only chance these shelter pets may have for a second chance is an out of area rescue. Hard working local advocates and The Amarillo Panhandle-Humane Society work with rescues all over the country networking these pets. Thousands of pets from Amarillo will travel hundreds or even thousands of miles to find their forever home.
KARTS or Kearns Animal Rescue Transportation Services was formed in September of 2014 when I discovered there are rescues wanting to take in our discarded pets. They see the value in these innocent pets and want to help us. We just needed to get them there! Transport was common all over the US, but we did not have any regular transports in Amarillo. It all started with one Aussie named Riley, he was on his way to the Midwest and just needed a lift. It did not take long for the need to trade in my car for a minivan was apparent. KARTS would transport cats and dogs as well as the occasional pig and tortoise to rescues all over the country. In 2017 a generous donation from a kindhearted woman from Trinity, TX allowed us to upgrade to a full-size cargo van. We have transported over 4100 pets the last six years, usually we run completely full. Both cats and dogs that may have never seen the outside of the shelter are now making lucky families complete. Our normal rescue run these days has been Wichita, Kansas. We meet rescues from Nebraska, Kansas City and Wichita with some of our hardest to place pets. They take our injured, pregnant, and even common overpopulated pets like Pit Bull mixes.
I am happy to be able to do these rescue runs, but we are only making a dent in the overwhelming pet explosion impacting our city. The sad thing is the problem is preventable. If everyone would do their part by being responsible for their own pets. Pets are a lifetime commitment, do not make the decision of pet ownership until you are sure you can fulfill your end of the bargain. Get your pets spayed/neutered and keep them up to date on vaccinations. Please do not buy your pets from backyard breeders, there are too many pets available through rescues or at the shelter. Adoption fees for dogs are 35 dollars at the City shelter and cats are only 25! This includes all vetting including vaccinations, surgery and even a microchip. For comparison, a free kitten will cost you much more after you get them vetted yourself. It just makes sense to adopt from the shelter. But no matter how you acquired your pet, take care of them, be worthy of the unconditional love they have for you. Every pet at the shelter has been let down by someone, please do not add to the problem.
We also need help… APHS has a desperate need for temporary fosters to get these pets out of the shelter until they can transport either with their own transport service or one like KARTS. Fostering is rewarding and usually is only for a few days although it can be a few weeks depending on the situation. To find out more about fostering, call or text the APHS rescue number during normal business hours: 806-556-4161
You can donate blankets, crates and of course money to any local rescue. APHS and KARTS would both love your help. But helping any rescue that pulls from the Amarillo shelter will have an impact. Be sure and check out our Facebook page (KARTS) for albums documenting some of the pets we have helped. All these pets have a story to tell. We want to ensure the next chapters are filled with happiness as they start their new lives.
William Kearns is the founder of Kearns Animal Rescue Transportation Services.