OLIVETTE, Mo. – APA turned over the keys to St. Louis County for its Olivette animal shelter Friday. 

APA officials said they had a very busy week when preparing for the end of operations at the Olivette location. 

They placed animals with foster families and transferred them to their Brentwood location. About 65 animals were adopted at the Olivette location since Monday, according to APA.

Officials noted a high turnout of individuals this week who were looking to adopt the animals at the shelter. 

Dennis Richmond was one of many individuals who visited the Olivette location this week to adopt a pet.

“I actually adopted a poodle with the APA; her name is Anakin. I fell in love with them, and I love the fact that I’m able to help out my community and help out and just give a loving dog a home,” Richmond said. 

APA President and CEO Sarah Javier shared a statement detailing the transition process from APA to the county.

“Through our own experience of assuming operations at the county shelter in 2022, we know the challenges of taking over a full shelter,” Javier said. “The fewer animals in the shelter at the transition back to county operations, the smoother the transition can be for them. That’s why we’ve focused so much energy in the final weeks to move as many animals out as possible.”