Last Friday I stopped by the animal shelter to drop off a car full of recyclables that were donated and wandered into the cat room to see what we have available for cats for adoption. There were seven people in there, and one of our adoption counselors, Luanne, was busy describing each cat to them, what its personality is, whether it’s spayed or neutered, which cat seems to get along well with other cats — she was doing a great job.
The new adopters were paying close attention, hugging this cat, and then that one, giving them a little pat, gently reaching out with loving hands, trying to make just the right decision. The Shelter is full. There are so many cats available for adoption.
Some have already been spayed or neutered, and don’t forget that we have a little bit of money left in our grant program if you want to adopt but can’t afford the surgery — if you qualify as low income or elderly, we can help pay for that. So there is no reason why this wouldn’t be a great time to consider giving a loving cat a good home.
With all the cats already in the shelter, there is no room to take in an owner surrender right now, but there are still needs out there for one reason or another. A friend of mine is moving south shortly and she has a cat she needs to place. She is a gray tiger, she was raised with a dog so she’s great with dogs, but not a big fan of other cats. She has no special needs except she’s picky about what she eats for cat food. Very easy going, naps a lot, she is not yet spayed, but we can help you with that through our grant program if you are so inclined to adopt. We need to find a home for her within the next couple of weeks so if you know of someone who is looking for a cat and maybe didn’t find just the right one at the shelter, perhaps Sammy would be the right cat for you. Call me at work 532-2345 and I’ll give you the contact information.
The Shelter also has so many gorgeous dogs available for adoption, two sweet coonhounds just came in from another shelter we are helping. We have a golden that is currently in foster, she’ll be a while before she’s available but she is doing so well in her foster home. I know her foster mom is going to have a hard time giving her up, but when she becomes available I know there will be a long list of people wanting to adopt her, and if you check out either our Facebook page or Houltonhumanesociety.org you can see photos of those currently available for adoption.
Over the weekend I spent some quality time with a good friend. We did a little yard saling, and of course on the first stop there is this beautiful dog and I ask “is he for sale, too” and the owners advise they are actually moving south and the dog hates the heat so they are looking for a home for him. He is a mix of golden retriever and black lab but he looks a lot like a Neufie, long black hair, strong face, beautiful dog. He is 6 years old and neutered, good with other dogs, cats and kids, and if you would like to help this family and adopt this dog, call 538-4555 (house phone) or 538-7586 and make an appointment to go meet this pet.
If I didn’t already have a dog, he’d have spent last night at my house. He is so mellow, so beautiful, such a gentle dog — well behaved, calm. He would make a great companion for any family.
This is a bad time of year for adoptions because so many people are going away for a summer vacation, they want to wait till school’s back in before considering taking in another pet, but this is the time that new homes are needed the most. Between kitten season and all the new babies that are born that need homes, and the “summer cat” that wanders away from home and ends up at the shelter, or people moving and needing to place their pet, shelters all over the state are full to capacity.
So now is the time of year you really should consider adoption, just because there are so many to choose from. This gives you a real selection to find just the right pet to add to your household. Not every dog fits into every home. When our special needs husky Nanook was ready for adoption, Heather went through dozens of applications, people who knew his story and wanted to adopt him, before finding just the right fit for Nanook. After a horrible start to life, this little fellow will finally be in his forever home, and it wasn’t the first one to apply, it was the home that fit his needs.
The same goes for you. It should not be the first cat you see, or the first dog, it shouldn’t be the one that is the prettiest, or the right color, but the pet with the personality to fit your lifestyle and your household. Stop by Houlton Humane, call me about Sammy the cat, or call the owners about Buddy the dog, help give these deserving animals a new home. Thank you!
