As an incentive for people to adopt a pet, Allison cut adoption fees for dogs and cats through May 31. Each pet also goes home with a five-pound bag of dog or cat food, he said.

By Thursday things had thinned out a bit. A handful, maybe a dozen, pets had been adopted, Allison said. Some considered to be unlikely pets were euthanized. The numbers are down some, Allison said, but the shelter could be at capacity again in the blink of a tabby's eye.

"We're not as full, but we have been just swamped," Allison said. "Our shelter is just barely keeping above water. Size-wise, the number of kennels just isn't adequate."

Allison said the cat room at the shelter is always full. But the number of dogs dropped off at the shelter spiked recently, putting the facility above its capacity. The spike appears linked, in part, to seasonal issues. Many of the dogs recently left at the shelter have just had puppies, Allison said, and a few puppy litters have been dropped off as well.

Stray dogs are another big segment of the incoming population, he said. That could be due to the recent thaw, which has some dogs digging out of areas that in winter were secure.

Allison said the best solution for diggers is to run a two-foot length of chicken wire around the bottom of a fenced area. That's usually enough to deter a digging dog, he said. People looking for solutions to pet problems are welcome to call the shelter and ask for help or for an officer to stop by, Allison said.

Through May 31, people can take a dog or puppy home for $20 and a cat or kitten for $15. The fee includes the price of shots, registration and a microchip, or under-the-skin permanent identification device. An additional $30 deposit, refundable upon proof of the animal's spaying or neutering, is also charged.

For more information about adoptions or shelter hours, call the shelter at 1-907-746-5500. To see the pets online, visit www.petharbor.com.

Central Mat-Su fire department to take over inspection from state

WASILLA -- The Central Mat-Su Fire Department got its wish Thursday when the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly unanimously approved a resolution allowing the department to take over code compliance authority from the state fire marshal.

The borough also gave permission to hire the personnel needed for inspections and code enforcement.

Central Mat-Su Fire Chief Jack Krill was looking forward Friday to implementing his plan.

"Right now we're just kind of planning for the transition," he said.

Realistically, he could hire and have in place by October the two fire code specialists and one part-time secretary.

His department will take over from the state fire marshal's office authority for inspecting new construction and enforcing fire codes. Any buildings in the middle of the inspection process would continue to work with the state office but, his department would take up new inspection requests from within the Wasilla-Lakes Fire Service Area.

He said the program would increase building safety. Right now the fire marshal looks over plans and approves things like fire alarms, exit plans and sprinkler systems before they're installed.

"There's nothing out here in the Valley where the fire marshal comes out and makes sure your system is built to the way that he approved it," Krill said. He aims to change that.

He expects inspection fees will more than pay for the program, especially given the booming Valley construction industry. But if the boom goes bust, he said, the fire service area's board of supervisors will look into amending the program.

But from his point of view, looking at how it will increase safety, "Even if it didn't pay for itself, it's still the right thing to do," he said.

-- Andrew Wellner