Cute faces mask a sad story as animal shelters in Hawaii County continue to take in dozens of mixed-breed puppies every month.
In January, the staff at the Hawaii Island Humane Society’s Keaau shelter came to work to find a mother dog, Atta, in a shopping cart outside the shelter with seven puppies that were about one-week old.
When the puppies turned 10-weeks old, HIHS put them all up for adoption after they were each vaccinated, spayed or neutered, and microchipped.
According to the website, Francis, Flik and Harry are the remaining puppies from the litter, and Atta is still available for adoption.
HIHS currently has nearly 30 puppies in its care, with about 16 puppies ready for adoption. The remaining puppies are underage, or are awaiting their vaccinations, spay or neuter surgeries and microchips.
“We have had puppies nonstop for the past several months, and that will continue for the foreseeable future. We know people want to expand their families, and we hope that they come to the shelter first,” HIHS CEO Lauren Nickerson said. “Getting puppies into homes is so important, because these puppies are at risk of growing up in the shelter, which no one wants.”
The Shelter Animals Count — a nonprofit that maintains a database for animal shelter statistics — estimates that 651,000 of the 3.2 million dogs entering organizations in 2023 were puppies under 5 months old. This has increased by 56,000 puppies since 2019 and 28,000 more puppies since 2022.
This puppy population increase also is a trend in Hawaii County as owners continue to breed their dogs instead of spaying and neutering.
“There is a belief that there is a market for puppies, but the majority of puppies in the system are the ones that people could not sell. It is a huge burden on the community and not fair to puppies themselves,” Nickerson said. “We have the ability to prevent unwanted litters from being born, and there really is not a market for mixed-breed puppies.”
HIHS and many other organizations offer low-cost spay and neuter surgeries and will prioritize urgent cases, such as a pregnant female.
“Dogs give birth to large litters, and some folks don’t have capacity to take care of all the puppies, which is so normal, but the island is oversaturated, with not enough homes,” Nickerson said. “We’re here to help, and so many organizations are here to help. We have to cut back on the need, and we will do that by spay, neuter and adoption.”
All of the puppies available at HIHS have been spayed or neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and are deemed healthy by the shelter’s veterinarian. The staff also gives puppy parents the resources and guidance needed to help the dog become a loving, social family member.
“We really do feel a bond with our animals and care about where they are going. The biggest worry is that they will grow up in shelter, and that is not a life we want for any animal,” Nickerson said. “We are urging the community to meet us where we are, because we’re trying desperately to get these puppies into homes.”
Francis, Flik, Harry and 13 other puppies will be available for adoption during the fourth HIHS Puppy Adoption Event at the Hilo Petco from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Those interested in becoming puppy parents are always welcome to visit the HIHS Keaau shelter and the Animal Community Center in Kona from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday to Tuesday every week.
For more information on all puppies, dogs and cats available to foster or adopt, visit hihs.org
Another Hawaii County nonprofit, Action 4 Animals, will also be hosting an adoption event for dogs and cats at the Hilo Petco from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 6.
Action 4 Animals does not have a facility and utilizes fosters for the dogs and cats they intake from Animal Control. For more information on becoming a foster, visit action4animalshawaii.com
Email Kelsey Walling at kwalling@hawaiitribune-herald.com