Pet Savers is feeling the strain with so many unwanted animals needing help

Spring time is when many shelters fill-up with litters and litters of unwanted puppies and kittens.  One Shreveport no-kill shelter is faced with making life and death decisions on whether to take more in... or turn them away.

Everywhere you look there's cages filled with animals of every shape and size.  All wishing they could have a family to call their own.

"We don't want them to grow up and become dogs at Pet Savers because they're just not quite as appealing and adoptable once they become dogs," said Linda Shemwell, Pet Savers Founder.

Instead, many of them live here for years.  Pet Savers was founded back in 2005 when Shemwell realized how badly this community needed a no-kill shelter.

"I went from having ten dogs that I was keeping in people's homes and vets to having 20, to having 40, to having 75," said Shemwell.

These dogs and cats savor every second of attention they receive from volunteers and employees who have a moment to spare.  However, there's not much time for petting and loving on them as shelter manager Paula Allison works hard keeping them clean, fed and housed.

 "We're every day of the year... There's days its real tough, but other days it's fairly rewarding when you do see a dog get a home, but there's days when it's tough to see what goes on," said Allison.

A litter of nine adorable puppies were turned away a couple of weeks ago.  They asked the owner to wait a few days while they tried to make room for at least a couple of them.

"When we opened the gate there they all were in a small kennel on top of each other in the parking lot. So, whoever that man was decided he couldn't wait... To his credit, he was trying to do the right thing.  He brought them to a no-kill shelter," said Shemwell.

There's more than a dozen puppies up for adoption right now.  They all need good homes.

Allison has one request for families who are thinking about a pet.

"Don't get a dog unless you're really ready for the responsibility... It's a commitment," said Allison.

The best way to help shelters like pet savers is simple.

"If people could have them spayed and neutered that certainly helps our overall problem in this part of the country," said Shemwell.

Click here for a link to Pet Savers of Shreveport's website.  Click here to "like" their Facebook page.

Click here for a link to Robinson Rescue's Facebook page.  You can print out a coupon for $10 off a spay or neuter until May 31^st