St. Charles Parish animal control reports higher intake, rising bite cases and expanded shelter partnerships

St. Charles Parish Department of Animal Control presented its 2024 annual report to the St. Charles Parish Council, reporting steady intake numbers, expanded adoption and transport partnerships, and a notable increase in bite incidents.

The presentation, delivered by Dr. Gina Troxler, noted the shelter is staffed by four animal control officers, two kennel attendants, a kennel officer and a part‑time worker, with one vacant officer position and an active hiring process. "We have a team that include includes 4 animal control officers... and we are hiring another animal control officer right now," Troxler told the council.

Troxler said the shelter took in about 636 dogs in 2024, nearly half classified as strays, and more than 1,000 cats, with roughly half unattached to an owner. She said about 260 cats and 71 dogs were adopted locally, and the shelter used off‑site adoption partners and a biweekly flight program with Greater Good Charities to place animals nationwide. "We had 260 cats adopted, which is 74% of our cats get adopted through our off‑site facilities," Troxler said.

The department highlighted several partnerships and grants: a Petco grant supporting spay/neuter services (about 60 animals spayed/neutered under that grant), a Wings of Rescue grant funding free spay/neuter for bully breeds this week, and $81,000 in donated heartworm/flea prevention plus $160,000 in donated pet food for hurricane events. Troxler said Greater Good Charities contributed flight capacity that would have cost roughly $945,000 if purchased commercially.

Troxler detailed shelter operations and costs: average length of stay for animals is about 11 days; the parish spends roughly $25 per pet per day for basic care; and about $750 of medical care goes into each animal adopted locally. She said in‑house surgeries approached 1,000 last year and the shelter budget for medical care is about $40,000, supplemented by donations and partner support.

Council members asked about public‑safety issues. Troxler reported a 60% increase in bite cases and said the majority involve intact animals about two years old. She explained the parish uses a behavior‑based “spectrum” under ordinance 4‑6 to classify potentially dangerous animals, not a breed ban. "Most of our bites are 2 year old intact animals," Troxler said. She added that about 107 dogs have been deemed potentially dangerous since 2020, 18 declared dangerous and 10 declared vicious, with many dangerous‑classified animals concentrated in a small number of households.

On euthanasia Troxler said owners may surrender animals rather than retain liability; she told the council that a dog declared vicious would not be returned to its owner. She also confirmed anonymous reports of dangerous animals are accepted and that Animal Control will respond when calls indicate immediate safety concerns.

Troxler described outreach and volunteer programs, including in‑shelter orientations, school visits, a hurricane preparedness drive and regular off‑site adoption days that reduce length of stay and handling costs. She said volunteers have increased by 34% after shifting orientation to a digital format and that volunteers provide roughly $20,000 in value annually.

Council members and the parish president thanked Troxler and staff for the work and the presentation. The council used the presentation to remind residents of shelter services and upcoming events, including a rabies drive and the bully‑breed free spay/neuter clinic supported by Wings of Rescue.