By Shane Mead | Staff Writer
If you pull in to the parking lot of Pet Circle, a no-kill shelter just off the La Salle roundabout, you’ll see a capacity sign with an arrow pointing toward 100%.
To be exact, Pet Circle’s dog capacity is at 94%, and they’re currently taking in more dogs than are being adopted, with 59 intakes in the last seven days compared to just 41 adoptions in that same time period.
“We’ve been at almost full capacity since we transitioned from the Humane Society to City of Waco,” Samuel Lamkin said, Pet Circle’s outreach specialist. “It’s just been nonstop dogs coming in and low adoption rates.”
A recent sponsored adoption event courtesy of Graceland Real Estate helped alleviate the overloaded capacity, generating 13 adoptions in just two days, Lamkin said. But even then, the intake rate remains unsustainably high and the idea of Baylor students helping out is something Lamkin says could be crucial to their efforts at Pet Circle.
“We would absolutely love that,” Lamkin said. “We’ve actually been discussing how we can dip our toes into the Baylor bubble.”
Lamkin explained that it’s understandably tough to expect students to adopt, considering the time and financial obligations it would require. But things like “Bark Breaks” or “Sleepover Rovers” that he says are common of Baylor students, also provide lots of help.
Bark Breaks are a service where people can take one of Pet Circle’s dogs and spend a day together before being returned in the evening.
“It helps with getting the dog socialized and gives them a way to stimulate their mind without them having to be in here all day,” Lamkin said.
Sleepover Rovers act as an extension to Bark Breaks and typically happen when someone is more seriously considering adopting a dog. This allows an interested owner and dog to spend time in a house setting and get a better understanding of how the dog responds to the new environment.
“We love seeing animals go out and have fun, just away from all the shelter life,” Lamkin said. “As many dogs as we can get out for whatever amount of time it is, whether it’s a couple hours or a couple days or forever.”
San Jose, Calif. junior Ananya Bommareddy, recently gave a cat she found via Pet Circle her forever home after finding her profile on Pet Circle and getting her from a foster family.
“I think it’s a great opportunity,” Bommareddy said. ” I think if students want to adopt or get any animal that they should get them from a rescue center or adoption place.”
She said fostering was also a great idea since it would be temporary, making it more convenient for students who travel back and forth between their hometown and Waco before every break.
Since fostered animals are being cared for outside of Pet Circle, this would open up extra kennels, proving crucial for an adoption center that’s close to full capacity, she said.
“If [students] need to go home for breaks or they graduate, they don’t have to have the responsibility of taking it home with them,” Bommareddy said. “It’s a great temporary way to have a pet. I think it’s super important.”
Now that Pet Circle is associated with the City of Waco, Lamkin said it’s been common for people to mistake them for the Humane Society.
“We’re lacking the audience after the transition, and we’re starting to build it back up,” he said. “Even if you’re not able to foster or adopt, sharing our social media posts and signing up for our newsletter and forwarding it to people who are interested in fostering or adopting would be greatly appreciated.”
