Tiffany Williams crawled into a kennel at the City of Brewton Animal Control and Adoption Center Thursday, ready to give comfort to three frightened puppies newly arrived at the shelter.

No matter that they were covered in fleas, she said; they just needed some love.

That is what all of the animals at the center need, volunteers and staff members at the center said.

Some of the animals sit quietly, while others wait their turn to be noticed. Some of them have been there for a while and some of them are new to the shelter.

“It hurts us so much to see the animals who have to be euthanized,” said Christina Green, who is in charge of the shelter. “No matter how many we see that have to euthanized, it still bothers us. My husband says that I always want to keep all the animals I see, but of course I can’t do that.”

One of the main objectives of the center is to get the animals adopted by loving owners as quickly as they can. Green said that doesn’t mean that they let just anyone come by and pick up a pet.

“It takes someone special to adopt a pet,” Green said. “Most everyone who comes out here and makes the effort to adopt a pet is doing it for the right reason.”

Green said owners who lose their pets should always check with the animal control center to see if the animal has been picked up by the city.

“When animals are turned in to us, many of them actually have owners already,” Green said. “If someone misses their dog or cat, they should check with us first, and don’t just assume the animal will eventually come home. After we get them in, we keep them for seven days before putting them up for adoption. Then they have 30 more days to be adopted. After that the animals are euthanized. We don’t want to see that happen, but the sad truth is, that is what happens.”

Green said that each person who comes in to adopt a pet is asked how they expect to care for their animal. They have had the misfortune to have animals brought back because the “owner” didn’t consider all the responsibilities associated. Dogs and cats shed, and, just like children, they make messes. But someone who really wants a pet knows that and is willing to take the responsibility.

“Everyone who is considering adoption needs to give it some thought,” Green said. “We don’t want to see the animal come back to us because the owner didn’t give enough thought to the responsibility.”

A new group dedicated to raising funds and awareness for the center — Friends of the City of Brewton Animal and Adoption Center — still need more volunteers to help at the shelter. Tiffany Williams and her mother Laura — dedicated volunteers at the shelter — are the founders of the organization and they are there at the shelter almost every afternoon.

The City of Brewton Animal Control and Adoption Center and Christina Green may be reached at 867-1400 or Laura Williams at 363-3252.