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Jim
Willis Made Me Do It - Part I I was pleasantly surprised by the shelter. Yes, it was still full of pets that needed homes. However, it was very clean, well lit, and the staff seemed genuinely concerned about the animal's welfare and eventual adoptions. The facility had a large fenced area with grass, trees and a picnic table so that families can meet prospective pets in a more natural environment. The shelter used to have a spay/neuter policy whereby the person adopting the pet would pre-pay for the surgery, then get a voucher to schedule an appointment at participating veterinary clinics to perform the surgery. Sadly, only 49% of the people ever followed through and scheduled the surgery! This was for a pre-paid surgery, too! The current policy is strict. All animals "of age" (4-6 months for most participating veterinary clinics) cannot leave the shelter until spayed or neutered. Period. The person adopting can select from a list of veterinarians, and the shelter staff will make the appointment and transport the pet directly to the clinic. The adopter will then pick up the new pet from the assigned veterinary clinic. Animals that are too young for the surgery will be given a voucher and the shelter will follow-up when the animal reaches the appropriate age. Because of these tough spay/neuter policies and lots of hard work getting pet photos up online at PetShelter Network, this shelter has greatly increased the number of adoptions and reduced the number of animals euthanized for lack of a home.
Sophie was spayed the day after we adopted her. She arrived at her new home groggy, but happy. My animals greeted her with much interest.
Rex, our current dog, was beside himself. He has wanted a playmate for so long. He exercised considerable restraint, considering that Sophie was barely up to walking, much less running around crazily! Sophie has been with us a week now. So far, the most major damage has been a chewed window blind. She is still on cautionary probation with the chickens (close supervision). She has really acclimated well to our lives and our pets. The shelter provided so much in return for the small adoption fee: first vaccinations, microchip ID, spay surgery, and various pet food samples and coupons. All that they ask in return is that the animal be returned if the adoption doesn't work out for any reason. I know that they won't have to worry in this case! The purpose of this story is two-fold: 1) to share with you the wonderful arrival of a new pet, and 2) to consider helping out a local shelter. Perhaps donating some food -- you never know what may happen! The story would not be complete without mentioning the importance of spaying and neutering your pets. We can all work together to reduce the great number of animals killed each year due to lack of a home. Pet overpopulation
is sometimes called "the disease of euthanasia" since so many
homeless and unwanted animals are put to death each year. Learn about
spay and neuter surgeries, what resource programs are available, and what
you can do as a responsible pet owner to help animals in need.
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