KMAX: News of the West

Animal lovers rally to adopt pets of deployed Marines

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (AP) After people rallied to adopt pets of deployed Marines from an overcrowded animal shelter, officials said Thursday the shelter would stop accepting animals at the end of the month.

The Domestic Animal Control Facility at Camp Pendleton will stop accepting pets from Marines on March 1 and close by Aug. 1, said Col. Leo A. Mercado, assistant chief of staff of security and emergency services, in a written statement.

``Requirements have been levied upon the installation to review and prioritize core functions and domestic animal control is considered a lesser priority,'' Mercado said. ``Although the domestic animal control facility will cease operations, our first and foremost concern is the health and welfare of the animals that are presently under our care.''

As Marines at this San Diego County base head to the Middle East and other hot spots around the world, many are being forced to part with their pets.

News of the overcrowded shelter broke earlier this week when base officials desperate to find homes for the pets ran ads in local newspapers and tacked up fliers at animal care centers in Oceanside and San Clemente.

``The phone has been ringing nonstop since Monday. Everyone has been coming by, saying they were heartbroken by the story of the Marines and their dogs,'' said Kyoko Childress, a worker at the shelter.

As of Thursday, shelter officials said they had six dogs and some cats.

Patti Daly of Lake Forest said she is willing to do whatever she can to help.

``We're sending these guys off to war; the least we could do is hold on to their animals for them,'' Daly said. ``I'm sure a lot of these guys would love to home to their animals. They might not have anybody else to come home to.''

Childress said she wasn't sure a foster-care program was beneficial to the animal.

Although many have offered large sums of money to help keep the animal shelter afloat, base spokesman Capt. Chris Logan said the shelter will close its doors.

``Nothing is really going to change the decision to close the shelter,'' he said.

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