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 By Brittnee Bryant

Star Correspondent

If it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for your pets.

That’s the message from Shannon Posada, director of the Elizabethton/Carter County Animal Shelter, who sat down with the Elizabethton Star to discuss pet safety and share updates on overcrowding at the animal shelter.

With summer temperatures on the rise, Posada is urging owners to take necessary steps to keep their pets safe.

“Please be aware of the extreme heat that’s coming in,” she says. “It’s very easy for your outside pets to have a heat stroke. Make sure they have plenty of water, and make sure they have shade to get out of the sun.”

Posada said if at all possible, bring your pets inside so they can cool off. She also warned about the dangers of leaving pets inside hot cars.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, vehicles can reach temperatures to put pets at risk in mere minutes, and cracking windows does not help alleviate this risk.

Additionally, pet owners should be vigilant about the heat on asphalt when walking their animals, as pets can get their paws burned.

Posada said that as of June 18, the shelter is housing close to 60 dogs and more than 125 cats and kittens. There are animals being fostered as well.

“We have cats coming in daily,” says Posada. “We have several rooms full of kittens; some are ready for adoption, some are still on a quarantine hold. A lot of times when we get kittens, they’re sick or injured, and so it takes a bit longer for us to get them better and out on the adoption floor.”

Posada says there are other kittens in foster homes. Once they become of age, they will come back to the shelter and be available for adoption as well.

If an individual would like to become a foster, Posada says everyone is welcome.

“We talk to them once they come to the shelter, we get them to fill out a short foster form, and depending on if it’s for a dog, cat or kitten, we talk to them about the needs of the animal,” she says. “We supply everything for the fosters — all the medical, all the food, all the blankets, all the litter, all the formula or bottles they would need to become a foster, or to be a successful foster — we supply.”

Donations are also crucial to the shelter’s operations. Posada highlighted a few high-demand items: Fancy Feast Kitten food (currently two-plus cases a day), kitty litter, kitten chow and Purina One Kitten food. For dogs, the shelter uses Pedigree Chicken and Vegetable dry dog food, as well as Pedigree Puppy dry and canned food. Posada says all donations are welcome and used.

Volunteering options are available at the shelter. If someone would like to volunteer, they can come by the shelter to inquire.

“We are very, very thankful for the volunteers we have at our shelter,” she says.

For anyone who is low-income and needs assistance with spay or neuter services, Posada says the Carter County Humane Society is an option. The humane society provides vouchers to aid in those services. There is no physical location for the organization. To contact them, call 423-547-3031. Individuals can also contact or go by the shelter to inquire about information on low-cost options as well.

The Elizabethton/Carter County Animal Shelter is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. To contact the shelter, call 423-547-6359 or visit their Facebook page for updates.