OLIVETTE, Mo. — Dale Shuter is the president of St. Louis County Save. The group of volunteers has supported the St. Louis County Animal Shelter for years.
For the past two years, Shuter has been a volunteer with the Animal Protect Association of Missouri or APA. Before that, she spent four years tending to countless cats and dogs at the county shelter.
"I just love being able to spend time with the animals and being able to contribute my time," Shuter said.
Now, her concerns about the animals are growing after the St. Louis County Health Department said in February it plans to temporarily pause volunteering at the county shelter, which it oversees.
"The volunteers offer a lot of enrichment to the animals," Shuter said. "They do a lot of extra things that the staff does not have time to do. Things like walking the animals, doing laundry and doing the dishes and a lot more."
"I care about the animals," St. Louis County Health Department Director Dr. Kanika Cunningham said. "I'm going to make sure that all of our animals are cared for appropriately, so I think people are nervous because it's a change."
Officials said when the APA took over the shelter nearly two years ago, the staff discovered dogs living in dirty kennels, dogs that could barely walk and other problems. The nonprofit was credited for turning the shelter around.
"We learned a lot from the APA," Cunningham said. "We're gonna continue a lot of the same measures. I've set a new vision for the animal shelter, and I want us to be able to take a step back. I appreciate the work the APA has done. I appreciate what we've learned from the. We've leveraged a lot of their skills, but I'm looking at how can we do this differently. I want to make sure that we are intentional. We're making sure that we get a diverse set of volunteers that's also reflective of the communities that we serve. About a good 60 to 70% of our animals actually come from north St. Louis County, so how can we support the communities? How can we support the organizations, but how can we truly support a program that's more inclusive? That's what my team and I will be looking at it."
The health director also said her "new vision" will include allowing animal control officers to "help with dog walking at the shelter." Plus, "county employees will get a chance to volunteer at the shelter."
"I just ask for the continued support and trust from the community and to give us the opportunity to turn the shelter around and continue the great work that we are doing," Cunningham said.
Currently, there are nearly 400 volunteers at the county shelter. Cunningham said those people can reapply for the positions next year.
So far, she has not said exactly how long the temporary suspension of volunteering will last.
The county will take over operations at the shelter in February 2025.
In a statement, KT Stuckensheider, the director of communications for the APA said, “A robust volunteer program is an essential part of the APA’s operations of our shelters. We are deeply grateful to our volunteers for all they make possible. The APA will continue this program at the County shelter in Olivette until the County resumes shelter operations in February 2025.”