ARDMORE -- Hot days are often called the “dog days of summer,” but at the Ardmore Animal Shelter that saying takes on a whole new meaning. The shelter says summer is their busiest time, and while they are not as full as years past, they say they are still being forced to euthanize too many animals.

On any given afternoon, there are more than 250 pets at the Ardmore Animal Shelter. Cassie, a young Border Collie pup, is among the lucky ones. Ken Sutherland said she disappeared about two weeks ago, but as of Wednesday afternoon, she was back in his grandson's arms.

"He's really happy. When he saw her back there, he just couldn't keep from crying,” Sutherland explained.

But Kim Lee, the Executive Director of the animal shelter said Cassie beat the odds, and unfortunately most dogs don't have the same happily-ever-after story.

"We received close to 7,000 animals last year, we just completed our fiscal year, and out of that 7,000 only about 7% were reunited with their owners,” Lee said.

Lee told First News most dogs have to be euthanized. Sadly, Lee says more than 50% of the animals brought in each year have to be put down.

"In the year 2008, more than 4,000 animals were euthanized, right here in our animal shelter, just because there were not enough adoptive homes,” Lee explained.

Lee said while the number of animals taken into the shelter is down slightly compared to this time last year, pet over-population remains a huge problem. Lee says our area is far from perfect, but you can help fight the problem by keeping identification tags on your pet and having your animals spayed or neutered.

"If we didn't have to be here because there are so many strays, and we went out of business, that would be a perfect world,” Lee said.

Sutherland says he's thankful the shelter is here, and he's going to do his part by putting ID tags on Cassie.

The shelter attributes the slight drop in numbers to their spay and neuter program. If you need help paying for the surgeries, the animal shelter offers assistance. For more information, click the link below to visit the shelter’s home page. You can also call the shelter at 580-223-7070.