Humane Society opens doors to animal adoptions without appointments

You’ll no longer need an appointment to consider adopting a dog or cat at the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society.

The organization is opening its dog and cat adoptions to the public, as long as visitors are screened first.

The Humane Society used to offer walk-in adoptions before the pandemic. When COVID-19 began, they were limited to appointment only.

While the more open access resulted in high adoption, there were issues, executive director James Oppenheimer said.

“The animals were very stressed out,” he said. “The biggest issue was that a serious adopter had trouble finding an animal because most of them were being walked — especially on a weekend — by people who had no real intention of adopting.”

The more controlled approach resulted in fewer animal returns but also fewer impulse purchases and longer stays for animals — especially when someone showed interest and put the animal on hold and then ultimately didn’t adopt.

So far this year, adoptions are up 9 percent from the same time last year, but intake is up 7 percent. The Humane Society is at capacity for dogs, with 120 in its care. There are 412 animals total in the building. While adoptions are happening at a good rate, it’s not enough to keep up with the number coming in.

“We are seeing increased strays, more breeders dropping off unsold litters and more surrenders than ever before,” Oppenheimer said. “The consensus was that it was time to open our kennels back up to the public. There was admission that this will likely increase stress on staff, some stress on animals, and we will see more returns. We should, however, get more people viewing the animals, and hopefully without needing to hold animals for appointments, we will see a decrease in the average length of stay.”

Visitors must be pre-screened, though. You can fill out an application online or a walk-in paper application, and it’s good for 90 days, so you don’t have to adopt on the first visit.

Adoptions are completed in person on a first-come, first-served basis. No appointment is needed, so you can walk around the kennels and select a pet. The Humane Society’s website is updated in real time, so you can double-check animal availability first.

You generally can bring your new pet home the same day you sign an adoption contract.

For more on the process and to apply online, click here.

“We are really excited for this change. We have spent a few weeks preparing for it, but allowing people back into the kennels is a huge shift,” Oppenheimer said. “The great thing is that if you want a puppy, rather than picking out online, you can come, meet all of our puppies and decide which one you bond with the best. There are no reservations at all, so it is truly first come, first serve.”

The Humane Society continues to deal with some impacts from nearby road construction, but there are directions as well as information on available animals on its website.

A word of warning, though: “When you walk through our kennels, it is hard not to leave with a dog,” Oppenheimer said. “They all look at you like they just want you to take them home. This is the reason most of our kennel staff have three to four dogs.”

Meet the new leader of the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society