The Problem As the hot summer evenings are replaced by the incoming season of cold winter nights, my thoughts turn to the lost and stray animals of Galt who do not currently have a place to sleep safely or warmly. It’s true—many animals (unlike humans) are blessed with thick fur coats to help keep them warm in “the wild”. However, in the severe cold animals are still prone to frostbite and hypothermia, which can lead to disease, amputation, or loss of life if left untreated. Smaller animals (cats especially) may risk their lives falling asleep under the hood of vehicles whose warmth attracts them, and all stray animals are bound to reproduce, compounding the issue substantially.
Surely the number of stray dogs and cats currently living in Galt is a cause for concern, but what can we do about it? Trying to save them is a great endeavor and many stray animals have been safely returned to their homes through the Galt Animal lost and found Facebook page, Nextdoor.com, and other great resources, such as Purrfectly Pawsible, a nonprofit organization that fosters animals. But what about those stray animals that do not have homes? What about those stray animals whose owners cannot afford to keep them, or don’t use these online resources to reclaim them? Where do these animals go?
The sad truth is that these animals currently go nowhere—at least not in Galt. That is because Galt does not currently have its own no-kill animal shelter. I ran into this in January of this year when I rescued a small, elderly dog who did not have a tag or chip and whose owners did not immediately know she was lost. After posting her picture up and down social media, I faced a hard choice in deciding what to do with her. I knew I could not bring the adorable dog home to my four other animals. I also realized that if I left her on the street, her limp and her dark coat increased the possibility of her accidentally getting hit. The only place I could take her (in the time that I had) was the Galt police station. If she didn’t get picked up by her owner within three days, she would be sent to a kill-shelter. Fearing that this little elderly dog would not be adopted but instead be euthanized, I was thankful when the dog’s owner came for her the next day at the police station, but I was left feeling like I’d just discovered a solution to the stray animal population in Galt.
C’mon Galt, let’s establish our first animal shelter!
Discover the benefits of no-kill animal shelters	Read about volunteer opportunities at animal shelters
Find out how to start your own animal shelter step-by-step	Explore grant opportunities for your non-profit animal shelter
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