Andrea Martin, Director of the Sedalia Animal Shelter, debunks some stigmas attached to shelters.

Upon my arrival at the Sedalia Animal Shelter, Andrea took me into a visiting room to answer some questions.There are a lot of stigmas attached animal shelters. The main misconception of the shelter in Sedalia, according to Andrea and her team,  is that they euthanize on a daily basis. She explained to me that euthanizations are only carried out when absolutely necessary.

In fact, when the interview was over, Andrea told me that they get a lot of flak from the public about being a “kill shelter”and the public is extremely unaware as to how seldom they actually have to carry one out. She said she never takes a euthanization “lightly, but it’s something that has to be done”. The only animals that are usually euthanized are those who pose a threat to the public or are too sick to be saved.

When I walked through the building, I was pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness of the shelter and the care that the team takes with the animals. The pets seemed happy and the shelter’s turnover rate for returning dogs and cats to their rightful owners or adopting the dogs and cats out is phenomenal.

The Sedalia Animal Shelter employs one full-time Animal Shelter Attendant, one part-time Animal Shelter Attendant, two Animal Control Officers and Andrea, herself. They do a fantastic job of upkeep, as well as overseeing veterinarian appointments, while caring for all of the animals.

During our talk, Andrea also made sure to take the time, to thank the community for their “overwhelming support." She said it was one of the things that touched her most when she first took over last summer.

Andrea also asked me to remind pet owners that if their animals get loose and are missing, she would recommend that they take a walk through the shelter. Sometimes dogs and cats are there, but descriptions over the phone aren’t always accurate enough to allow them to know if they have someone’s pet in possession. They invite missing pet owners to look through the shelter to ensure their pets haven’t been brought to them.

The shelter “relies so heavily on community donations and support”, Andrea explained.  If you or someone you know is able to help the shelter, or would like to possibly adopt an animal, you can call 660-826-5816, Monday through Saturday, 11 AM – 5 PM or find them on Facebook.

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