Shelter Animals Count, a centralized, standardized database for animal shelter statistics across the U.S., reports 6.3 million companion animals in the U.S. are put in shelters every year.

Of those, about 4.1 million shelter animals are adopted each year — 2 million dogs and 2.1 million cats — and about 810,000 turn out to be strays and are returned to their owners.

While the shelter animals are waiting to be adopted or reunited with their owners, they need to be cared for. According to the World Animal Foundation, there are about 4,000 animal shelters in the U.S.

It’s important to note that only about 50% of shelters are no-kill. That means about 50% of shelters put down animals for various reasons.

Finances are a huge consideration for animal shelters, and pulling together funding to take care of shelter animals never gets easier.

Which is why it comes as no surprise that, according to reporting in Thursday’s Eagle by staff writer Steve Ferris, a nonprofit animal shelter is trying to recover more than $147,436 it claims a Renfrew couple owes for caring for 50 dogs, cats, goats, pigs and ducks that were seized in April during a police investigation into the death of two German shepherds.

The Association for Needy and Neglected Animals, known as the ANNA Shelter, in Erie filed the suit last week in Common Pleas Court against Paul J. Frederick and Melissa Frederick to recover the $15-per-day cost of caring for the seized animals. The total was $147,436 as of Aug. 31, and the shelter also wants to be paid for the cost of future care of the animals, according to the suit.

Police seized the 50 animals and turned them over to the ANNA Shelter for care, according to the suit.

Police filed 66 charges against Paul Frederick. He was held for court on the charges at an April 17 preliminary hearing by District Judge Amy Marcinkiewicz and the charges are pending in Common Pleas Court.

The charges are two felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals; misdemeanor charges of obstruction of administration of law, resisting arrest and seven counts of neglect of animals; and 55 summary neglect of animals charges.

Keeping animals is a responsibility that requires time, attention and money. Anybody thinking about having a pet or a farm animal should bear this in mind as they decide if having a pet or a farm animal is right for them.

While it won’t be known for some time whether ANNA will succeed in its effort to recoup the necessary funding to care for the animals the Fredericks’ are accused of neglecting, we hope this serves as a cautionary tale to animal owners. Should you find yourself in a situation that doesn’t allow for proper care of animals, be proactive and reach out to a veterinarian or a shelter to ask for help.

Otherwise, shelters are always in need of supplies, funds and volunteers. The situation ANNA is in could have been made less necessary by additional help from the public.

— RJ