Most people know what an animal shelter is and have been to a couple. An animal shelter can also be known as a pound. Stray, lost, abandoned, or surrendered animals are housed in an animal shelter or pound where they get food and shelter. It’s mostly dogs or cats that are surrendered, but sometimes there could be small pets such as bunnies or guinea pigs. Animal shelters are found in cities worldwide, and there are two in Idaho Falls: The Snake River Animal Shelter and The Idaho Falls Animal Shelter. 

The first shelter was built in Bensalem, Philadelphia on April 14, 1869. Caroline Earle White founded the first shelter for the prevention of cruelty to animals. She was inspired to build the shelter when she witnessed the mistreatment of horses hauling heavy things weighing up to 55,000 pounds. And in some opinions, the shelter has helped animals. In an interview, Eryn Price, a biologist who works at Skyline High School, was asked if she thinks animal shelters are cruel. She responded, ¨No, not if they are following the rules to maintain the safety of animals, it is better than letting them (the animals) run around and be a stray.¨

Some people think animal shelters need to change. Mrs. Price was asked how we should change animal shelters as a whole. Mrs. Price said, ¨I would tell people to support it and be responsible pet owners.¨ So Eryn Price is saying instead of the animal shelters changing, we need to change how we see animal shelters or how we treat animals. The animal shelters in Idaho Falls have done their job of keeping the animals off the streets. Price was asked if she had seen any strays in town and her answer was, ¨All the times that I have been in town I don’t think I have seen a single one.¨ An animal shelter’s job is to give animals a home and keep stray animals off the street. Some think they have and Caroline Earle White would be proud to see how far they have grown.