Frustrated local animal rescue groups say many residents still believe Clallam County has an animal shelter — but it does not. And they are warning the gap between a rescue agency and a shelter is growing.

For years, the Olympic Peninsula Humane Society operated under contract with the county as an open?admission shelter. After closing and later reopening, OPHS changed its intake model and no longer accepts most strays, animals with behavioral issues, or many owner surrenders.

Rescue groups stress this isn’t a criticism of OPHS — only a clarification that the services people associate with a county shelter are no longer being provided.

To fill the void, private rescues across Clallam County are each caring for 30 to 40 animals, and collectively fielding 30 to 60 requests for help every month — including strays, surrenders, and law?enforcement cases.

They say they can only respond to a small fraction of those calls.

Rescue leaders say the reason is simple: rescues are not shelters.

They are small nonprofits with limited facilities, foster homes, staff, and funding — and none is equipped to serve as the county’s open?admission shelter.

That leaves residents, law enforcement, and rescue groups trying to manage situations with no countywide system responsible for taking in animals.

They argue Clallam County needs a sustainable animal?services system that provides a real safety net — including stray intake, reunification, owner surrenders, law?enforcement support, veterinary care, affordable spay/neuter, behavioral help, foster resources, and adoption services.

Rescue groups say they’ll keep doing everything they can, but they cannot replace the shelter system the county no longer has.