The McDonough County Animal Shelter is finding more homes for more pets.
Just over a year ago, the county had a complete turnover of its animal control officers.
Linda Jani chairs ths county committee that oversees the shelter's operation.
She says, “We're very happy with that trend because we like to see the animals going to good homes. Nobody likes to euthanize (animals) but occassionally it's necessary.
There have been significant improvements in the number of animals finding homes in the 11-month period from July 2011 to May 2012 compared to the same period a year earlier.
Dog adoptions are up from 188 to 272. Cat adoptions are up from 162 to 214.
The number of dogs who were reunited with their owners rose from 70 to 107. The number of cats returned to their owners incresed from four to 15.
The shelter also euthanized 64 fewer dogs and cats.