When employees at the Chilton County Humane Society are handed puppies or kittens, they must create a temporary home for them.

Recently, the humane society has seen an increase in animals showing up to the shelter resulting in the already tightened budget, decreasing rapidly.

“We need more funds to keep the shelter going or I fear we will not have the shelter open much longer,” humane society board member president Jenny Millwee said.

“We are working really hard to get our creative juices flowing for all of the different fundraisers we could have, but there is only so much you can do.”

Currently, the humane society houses more than 100 animals at the shelter with 20-25 animals taken in daily.

Vice president of the humane society board Raymond Jones said most of the animals come from the county resulting in the shelter having to charge $40 for any animal coming from outside Clanton, Jemison, Maplesville or Thorsby.

“The county does not fund the shelter for a county animal control officer so a lot of people might pick up a stray to help them out but don’t want to pay the $40 so they just leave the animal instead of helping them,” Jones said.

“Then people call the shelter angry with us for not helping them out and there is nothing we can do.”

Humane society director Scott Missildine came to the shelter in December 2011 and has worked to try to boost adoption sales at the shelter.

“Unfortunately, people aren’t adopting pets as much as they used to due to lack of money,” Missildine said. “A lot of people are actually getting rid of their animals due to various reasons, and we are struggling to keep them.”

Missildine said kittens are the pets that struggle to be adopted the most due to people thinking dogs are easier to handle.

“I think a lot of people don’t know how smart cats really are,” Missildine said. “They are also a lot easier to care for than dogs.”