CHEROKEE COUNTY, Texas — County Roads Rescue, Cherokee County’s largest animal rescue facility, faces partial closure of one of their facilities that holds long term dogs and shelter for storms due to severe funding and space shortages, threatening dozens of animals in need.

“We’re going to lose about a half of our available space for animals,” County Roads Rescue Executive Director Dava Cooley-Cook said.

County Roads Rescue currently cares for more than 100 animals. But with limited funding, Dava says that means their ability to intake more animals under one facility is impossible.

“It’s extremely stressful, because I’m aware of the fact that, if we’re not taking in animals, what that means for them. To me, this county, it’s more sad to know that we don’t even have a shelter. You know, we don’t have animal control or anything like that here. They don’t even have the ability to be humanely euthanized. They’re dying in the elements,” Cooley-Cook said.

A shortage of funds, volunteers, and fosters in the community has also led to some tough decisions.

“We actually have had to close our cat program,” Cooley-Cook said.

“Cats are what we most get in than dogs right now,” a volunteer with County Roads Rescue Avery Hassell said.

Avery remains hopeful for the future.

“I just like rescuing them out of horrible situations that they’re in and putting them here and giving them their forever home,” Hassell said.

The number of stray animals in Cherokee County has risen since the COVID pandemic.

“A lot of people here don’t understand what it means to care for an animal, making sure that you’re getting your pets spayed and neutered, that’s just the basic first step that you could do,” Cooley-Cook said.

Community support through volunteering, fostering, and donations is crucial to keeping the program running.

“If people want somewhere to take strays in Cherokee County, please consider that as of right now, we’re the only facility here for that and to please support us,” Cooley-Cook said.