We’ve written several stories this year on the LaGrange Animal Shelter and the number of dogs and cats rescued, euthanized and reunited with their owners.

The number of euthanized dogs and cats is difficult for any animal lover to read, especially when you consider more than 1,200 animals a year are put down by the animal shelter. Last year’s total was 1,226, which was an 11 percent decrease from 2014 and a 39 percent decrease from 2012. So, the numbers are decreasing overall, for a number of different reasons.

One of those reasons is the success of Puppy Pipeline, which takes animals from LaGrange and Troup County and transports them up north to states where there aren’t as many animals available for adoption.

In May alone, nearly 250 animals were sent through the Puppy Pipeline, and the City of LaGrange has already sent almost as many through the pipeline in 2018 as it did in all of 2017.

All in all, it’s a win for everyone involved. The animals get adopted by families and individuals looking for a pet and the shelter gets to save a life.

We’re encouraged by the pipeline numbers and hope they’ll continue to climb this year.