Avery, a 1-year-old Beagle mix gets a little love Thursday from Cullman County Animal Shelter volunteer Madi Shallenberger. Avery is probably as big as she's going to get. Volunteers say she's dog, person and child friendly.

The arrival of summer ushers in a busy stretch of the year for the Cullman County Animal Shelter.

Beginning in late May, when school dismiss, through September the shelter becomes a hub of activity — animal control officers bringing in strays or accepting puppies and fully mature dogs to kittens and adult cats that have been abandoned or can no longer be kept by their owners.

But it’s also peak adoption season at the shelter. Families looking for a new pet or helping a child to pick their first dog or cat is a familiar scene.

As the summer moves along, the shelter will average about 50 or more adoptions per week, said Nick Johnson, shelter manager.

“This is definitely a busy time for us,” Johnson said. “We get a lot more complaint calls, but we see a lot of people coming in to adopt. We’re here to help and any dog or cat that is adopted here is spayed or neutered.”

Animals adopted at the shelter have to spayed or neutered by law, which is an effort to keep down population growth as well as a way to provide cats and dogs that are not as likely to roam under new ownership.

While a few cats are kept at the shelter, Johnson said many are sent to Pet Depot once they are ready to be adopted.

“For some reason the cats just get adopted more from Pet Depot, so it’s been a good arrangement,” Johnson said. “All of the ones we send have been observed and spayed or neutered before we send them.”

The shelter has five dogs and three cats ready to adopt as of Thursday.

Business hours at the shelter are:

Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.; closed 11 – 11:30 for lunch.

Staff begin answering calls at 7:30 a.m. at 256-734-5448.

Located at 935 Convent Road NE, Cullman, donations are accepted for the care of the animals, and volunteers can apply to help.

Dog adoptions are $90 and cats are $65.