Life is hard for cats and dogs that live outside Chattanooga.
For all the recent progress in the city to save stray animals from euthanasia, there are still high kill rates at many regional shelters.
It's not because they don't care, shelter operators say. There just isn't enough space to house the animals nor money to pay for food and medical care.
At the Catoosa County Animal Shelter in Ringgold, Ga., employees take home pets to spare them from being put to sleep. Shelter director Darla Proctor collects donated food from local retailers to keep her budget costs in check.
But still, roughly 50 percent of the dogs that come to the shelter will be euthanized for lack of a home, she said. And only about 8 percent of cats that come to the shelter will be adopted, she said.
In all, the shelter will see about 2,800 animals come through its doors this year, she said.
"We tell people when they walk in the door with their animals that there is a good chance we won't be able to do anything with it," Ms. Proctor said. "I don't lie to anyone."
The same goes for the animal shelter in Cleveland, Tenn. Its director warns pet owners that strays are required to be held for a week, but that time limit does not apply to animals surrendered by owners.
If shelter workers must make space for more animals, others must be euthanized, said Gene Smith, the shelter director.
"It's a very stressful situation for our employees," Mr. Smith said. "In fact, we rotate (euthanasia duties) because it's so stressful on the person that's doing it."
In Cleveland, of the 6,900 dogs taken in last year, about 5,500 were euthanized, Mr. Smith said.
Chattanooga once had euthanasia rates that were comparable. But the McKamey Animal Care and Adoption Center relieved the burden on the Hamilton County Humane Educational Society.
Now both shelters say they euthanize only animals that are too sick or too aggressive to move in with a family.
But for the small shelters in outlying communities, budgets are too small to afford the luxury of no euthanasia.
Ms. Proctor's budget is $320,000 per year, and almost all of that funds staff salaries, she said. Just $28,000 goes toward food and medical expenses for the animals, she said.
Figures on the budget for the Cleveland Animal Shelter were not available.
Ms. Proctor and Mr. Smith say they have made major progress in saving animals' lives. Euthanasia rates are drastically lower now than they were years before, they said.
Both shelters are relying more and more on pet fostering groups, which are operated by individuals who take animals from shelters and allow them to live in their homes.
Ms. Proctor loaded a car full of animals a week or so ago to take to shelters in Florida that don't have many strays.
There is a more effective solution, though. Mr. Smith said pet owners should spay or neuter their animals to prevent pet overpopulation.
He also said owners should place microchips in their pets in case they get lost.
"If they have a collar with the owner's name, that helps a lot," Mr. Smith said. "If they have a microchip, that stays with the dog forever, and we can find its home right away."