ST. MARTIN PARISH, La. (KLFY) -- In St. Martin Parish, abandoned dogs going in and out of shelters happens very often.

I recently spoke with Brian Theriot with the sheriff's office, who says the number of dogs his department has picked up has decreased, but the issue is still very prevalent. Brian Theriot is the animal control officer for the sheriff's office.

"If people are going to get in and with the need to be prepared for what it entails," said Theriot.

The St. Martin Parish Animal Services has noticed an overflow in dogs coming into the shelter. The shelter coordinator Andrea Mire says she believes people need to be more responsible when making such a huge commitment to an animal.

"A lot of people will want to surrender or get rid of a dog they've had for years to get a new puppy," said Mire. "I don't think they realize that a pet is a 10-to-15-year commitment."

Officer Theriot says the main area in the parish where they normally pick up dogs is around Henderson, Cecilia and Breaux Bridge. That is exactly where Octavia Woodson recently found her new dog "Ranger" on the side of a road in a cage.

"I seen he was almost in the road, so I just knew someone put him there on purpose," said Woodson. "It is really heart breaking to me that people are like that because I treat my animals like they are my kids."

Mire advises people looking to adopt to do their research on different breeds and make sure you are ready for the commitment of taking care of an animal.

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