Animals at an Attica shelter could be euthanized

ATTICA, Ind. (WLFI) - What would you do if you had a month to live? Midnight can only sit in his cage and hope someone falls in love with him enough to make him their own. Until then, his time is ticking. 36 days left.

"He's very friendly," said Attica Paws 'n' Claws Animal Shelter Veterinarian Dr. Tracy Sudlow. "He's a great dog, he just requires a lot of space and a lot of energy. I mean, he's great with kids, he's great with my kids, he's great with our family."

Dr. Sudlow said the shelter receives a yearly budget from the county. This year, they received about $20,000, or enough money to care for about 300 animals for the year. As of now, they've already taken in about 500.

"We've well surpassed what we thought we were going to anticipate for the entire year and it's only October," said Dr. Sudlow. "So, that's why we're going to have to make some pretty difficult changes."

On Oct. 2, the Paws 'n' Claws board decided effective immediately, they would have to start euthanizing animals who had been at the shelter for 45 days.

Dr. Sudlow said some animals, like Midnight, have been at the shelter for months. She said they are giving them a clean slate, which means Midnight and others get a second chance.

However, that chance only lasts 45 days.

"It's nothing anybody wants to do, because we're down here all the time," said Dr. Sudlow. "I mean, there's a small group of us and we've become very attached to these animals. I have two children and they're down here walking these dogs and taking care of them. You know, how do you explain to a 6 year old that her favorite dog is no longer going to be here? You can't, I mean, you just can't. It's going to be hard."

Dr. Sudlow said if for whatever reason you are unable to adopt, they are always accepting donations. She said they're always in need of dog food and cat litter. She said spending less money on food, will allow them to put more money toward taking care of more animals.

If you are interested in donating dog food or cat litter, you can bring it to the Paws 'n' Claws shelter, located at 103 South Market Street, Attica, IN 47918. For more information  on hours of operation, contact the shelter at (765) 762-6598.