A relationship began between the Poplar Bluff Animal Shelter and All New Hope Rescue of St. Louis, Mo., in October 2015. This relationship has been beneficial to not only the officials of the groups, but hundreds of dogs and cats.
"We are truly blessed to have their help," Poplar Bluff Animal Control Officer Dan St. Lawrence said. "Words can't express my gratitude."
When St. Lawrence began his position at the Poplar Bluff Animal Shelter, located at 1500 W. Butler Street, on Dec. 1, 2014, he promised changes and improvements within the shelter.
That promise began with a policy change in Sept. 2015 which began networking between the shelter and rescue organizations.
"One of the first rescue organizations to reach out was Hearts for Rescue," St. Lawrence said. "They were very interested in helping and contacting other rescue organizations. One was All New Hope Rescue."
St. Lawrence credits Hearts for Rescue for the nearly 30 rescue contacts the shelter now has.
Since the initial contact with All New Hope Rescue owner Miriam Mahoney, the benefits of the relationship have flourished.
"They have been very instrumental in helping our shelter," St. Lawrence said.
Within two years, Mahoney has been able to acquire a microchip scanner, truck loads of food donations, pet beds, medications and many other items to assist with day-to-day operations at the shelter.
In addition, All New Hope has helped with the rescue of over 250 dogs and cats from the Poplar Bluff Animal Shelter.
"She (Mahoney) has done so much it's overwhelming," St. Lawrence said. "She has also helped so many animals here with health care and vet expenses."
To thank Mahoney for all the help she and her organization have provided the Poplar Bluff Animal Shelter, she was presented with a plaque from members of the Poplar Bluff Police Department.
Mahoney said in the St. Louis area, where her rescue organization is located, the shelters have a lot of other rescue groups who help and "argue over one cute animal."
"I'm not in competition," Mahoney said.
The Poplar Bluff shelter was so happy for help with adoptions, Mahoney said.
Chief Danny Whiteley said he admires ladies like Mahoney who have a concern and care for abandoned animals and pets.
"I admire her (Mahoney) greatly for the work and time she has put in," Whiteley said. "I also commend our animal control officers. Because of them, awareness has been made throughout Southeast Missouri and beyond."
In addition to the help of several rescue organizations such as Hearts for Rescue and All New Hope Rescue, changes within have also decreased the number of dogs being destroyed at the shelter.
Statistics show the numbers of dogs destroyed at the Poplar Bluff Animal Shelter in 2014 totaled 241. The numbers have drastically decreased over the past three years to 160 dogs destroyed in 2015, 20 in 2016 and 14 so far for 2017.
One factor leading to the decreased number of destroyed animals in the shelter can be attributed to the Poplar Bluff Animal Control Sterilization Agreement, which began in April 2017.
St. Lawrence said all animals adopted from the shelter are in compliance with the state ordinance of being sterilized, but the ruling has been taken a step further with the agreement.
Once an animal is adopted from the shelter, they are taken to a veterinarian to be spayed or neutered. Once completed, proof of sterilization is faxed to the Poplar Bluff Animal Shelter and the adopters then pick up their new furry family member and pay for the sterilization.
"This is going to cut down on the intake of puppies and kittens," St. Lawrence said.
This in turn will also help keep the number of destroyed animals down at the Poplar Bluff Animal Shelter.
Mahoney added while this is a big cost, it would help decrease the number of people adopting pets for the wrong reasons.
"It is important for the shelter to be involved and make sure the animals adopted are going to good homes," she said.
Mahoney said she felt she and St. Lawrence worked well together as a team.
"We realized we both had a common goal," she said. "We wanted to get animals spayed and neutered and get them homes. He (St. Lawrence) has a heart for rescue."
Officer Melanie Shipman, who has been with animal control since Oct. 2015, praised the work the shelter has accomplished.
"I think the changes have been wonderful and made a big impact," Shipman said.
One change that has not been made is the pit bull ban in the city of Poplar Bluff, which was implemented on April 1, 2010.
St. Lawrence said anyone caught with a pit bull in city limits could face up to a $500 fine from a judge in addition to impound and summons fees.
Poplar Bluff Animal Control has now made their presence on Facebook by posting impounded animals to their page.
The page keeps users engaged by posting stories from the animal's point of view and how they were picked up by animal control.
"The community support has been overwhelming when animals are posted on the animal control's Facebook page. Some animals get up to 30,000 views and several hundred shares," he said. "It is very important to follow our page and share, share, share."
St. Lawrence went on to credit the Facebook page for saving many of the dogs in the city of Poplar Bluff.
"Many times the animals are reunited with their owners less than an hour after posting on Facebook," he said.
St. Lawrence and Shipman said they have people reach out from all over the U.S. after seeing the posts on Facebook.
"We have received calls from coast to coast on our animals," St. Lawrence said.
Poplar Bluff Animal Control has over 10,000 likes from all over the U.S. and is represented in 37 countries.
Whiteley said the value of social media has got the word out to a wider audience and raised awareness of the animal shelter.
"Social media has certainly helped in the adoption of animals extraordinarily," Whiteley said.
St. Lawrence and Shipman spend a lot of time posting on Facebook, making calls and networking all for the animals.
"I'm known as the dog whisper and she's (Shipman) the cat whisper," St. Lawrence said.
He added sometimes dogs are brought into the shelter that can not be approached or touched.
"Some way I bring them (the dogs) out of it and they start to love again," St. Lawrence said.
Mahoney praised the knowledge the officers had for each animal and said this helps get them adopted. This knowledge helps when placing an animal in homes with other pets or children.
"They know and have been with the animals," she said.
Not only have improvements been made within the Poplar Bluff Animal Shelter, but much has been done to the building and shelter itself.
Improvements include repairing gates and fencing, adding metal to the ceilings, providing heat and air in the buildings, making the environment brighter and warmer opposed to a dark building and much more.
Much of the work St. Lawrence has done himself because of the love and compassion he has for the animals.
"A lot of the times I put the animals first," he said.
Mahoney said the next goal for the Poplar Bluff Animal Shelter is to have every animal leave microchipped.
She said the microchips cost about $4 each and the animals put in the system would have more information on hand, such as repeated escapees.
"We have some great plans about what to do next," Mahoney said.