CENTER TOWNSHIP | The county animal shelter euthanized 1,384 dogs and cats last year, or an average of nearly four animals a day.

That number began plummeting about the first of the year during a shakeup at the shelter and was down to single digits for the three-month period ending in August, according to euthanasia logs kept by the shelter.

The dramatic reduction in euthanasia is the result of a growing effort to give all adoptable animals more of a chance to find a home, Porter County Commissioner Bob Harper said.

The only animals being euthanized now are those that are too aggressive or too ill to be adopted, he said.

"I think we've done a pretty good job," Harper said.

The new approach at the shelter, however, has come under fire from former officials and volunteers there, who feel the animals and county actually are suffering as a result of the changes.

Mary Ann Sheller, a veterinarian and longtime member of the former animal welfare board, said most of the animals euthanized in the past were feral cats and animals brought in by their owners.

The shelter now has too many cats, she said, and owners unable or unwilling to pay more to have a veterinarian euthanize their pets doom those animals to a less humane death.

Sheller said animals also are being turned away from the shelter and she has evidence of one incident where a group of animals was taken from the county shelter to another one in Illinois that practices euthanasia.

"They can feel high and mighty about that ... but it's not doing animals a bit of good," Sheller said about the reduced euthanasia rate.

Harper disagrees and also rejected claims made by Sheller.

He said most of the cats brought to the county shelter are not feral. He also said 14 dogs were taken to the Animal Welfare League in Chicago Ridge, but it is a no-kill shelter except for aggressive animals. None of the dogs taken there were aggressive, he said.

Harper said the effort to reduce euthanasia at the shelter and adopt out more animals has been tough and has had its share of problems. But he is encouraged by the progress being made, which in addition to the reduced euthanasia rate, include increased hours at the shelter and efforts to better promote the available animals.

The shelter also is providing increased opportunities for low-cost spay and neuter services, he said.