Are you sure it was a county shelter? It's usually the cities that run the shelters, because it's the cities that have the animal control problems and animal control laws. Of course, things may be different in your corner of the world. Also, alot of people get confused and think "Podunk City Animal Control" is the same thing as "Podunk City Animal Shelter" even though one is public and one is private, they just happen to be in the same city. I'm not trying to insinuate you don't know what you're talking about, HowieDawn, I'm mainly stressing this for other less enlightened readers of this thread.

Some cities (and maybe county, if that's what is in your area) are taking a cue from the private shelters by screening the adopters more carefully, realizing that their own workloads decrease the more they ensure the animal won't be surrendered or returned. And an unfenced dog, no matter what the neighborhood or acreage, is ripe for return. Also, some cities require adopters to comply with local ordinances. In other words, if there is a leash law, the dog won't go to an unfenced yard. Cats won't go to homes where they will not be indoor only cats. I adopted a cat from Euless Animal Control and had to answer yes to and agree in writing to have the cat neutered and vaccinated within six months, vaccinate and tag the cat annually, confine indoors, in a fenced yard and/or on a leash at all times, and not give the animal to anyone else in its lifetime. And they are serious - warrants are issued in cases of non-compliance. It works - I can certainly not say that there are no feral cats in Euless, but the population is very small, and there are no problems associated with roaming cats, like in other cities I've lived in. And, except for spring breeding season, the Euless shelter most of the time adopts or reunites its healthy adoptable animals. The screening works, which is why almost all private shelters do it, and increasingly more public shelters, too. And, like Spencer alluded to, there are so many homeless animals and so many sources, anyone who wants and animal will can get one.