Craig Daily Press

Chinook is a personable, happy dog.

He has a light tan coat and a splash of black on his snout. When you get up close to him or make a noise his pointy ears perk up.

When animal control officer Blake Abdella answered a call to pick him up on the streets, Chinook took the bone he was offered and was happy to come along.

Now, he's at the pound.

A few kennels down from Chinook at the Craig Animal Shelter, Kira, a bashful, red-coated heeler sits looking longfully through the wire fence.

These are two dogs, two of the roughly 19 canines at the shelter. Tack on six adult cats and two black kittens and the Craig Animal Shelter is filled to the brim.

Low adoption rates and increasing amounts of calls of animals at large have caused the current strain on the shelter, Abdella said.

Abdella and animal control officer Kathie Johnson would like to see these animals find a home.

"If people are thinking about adopting, now is a good time," Johnson said. "There's some real nice ones here that could use a good home."

The kennels are full of them:

A black-and-white cocker spaniel.

Two boarder collies.

A labrador.

Abdella said the facility is a low-kill shelter.

"If animals are unable to be transferred and we're running at capacity and animals aren't being adopted, we run the risk of having to euthanize," Abdella said.

And lately, people just aren't adopting.

At high times, Johnson said the shelter typically houses about 10 dogs, and about eight cats.

Cats are adoptable for a $90 fee, which includes spaying and neutering and vaccinations, while dogs are available for $95 with the same treatments.

The shelter is open Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to noon and 3 to 4 p.m. On Saturdays, it's open from 11 a.m. to noon.

"That would be awesome to get some of these animals out of here," Abdella said.

John Henry can be reached at 824-7031, ext. 209, or jhenry@craigdailypress.com.