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ASU Student Media

Advertise

A second chance
for the homeless

by Amanda Fowler
Staff Writer

With the capability to house dozens of dogs and cats, the Watauga County Humane Society provides another chance for homeless animals.

At one time, the Humane Society may have upwards of 100 animals ready for adoption. There is a waiting list for admission, meaning someone would have to call in advance to drop an animal off. This is due to the fact that it is a limited admission shelter; animals are not euthanized for space.

Thus, animals are kept until adopted. This can mean only a few weeks for puppies and kittens or even six months for adult dogs to over a year for adult cats.

All animals in the Humane Society’s care are vaccinated, spayed and neutered and given heartworms and feline leukemia tests.

The Humane Society also offers a low-cost spay and neuter clinic where dogs can be altered for $50, and cats for $45 a female and $30 for a male. This cost is also subsidized by money from fundraisers for pet owners who cannot afford to have their pets altered.

The main fundraiser that contributes to this is “A Buck Can Change Their Luck,” which is being held this week and sponsored by the Watauga Animal Guardian Society (WAGS). The last day to donate will be tomorrow.

The Appalachian State University chapter of WAGS holds the fundraiser once a semester and generally raises about $1,000, Summer Sheffield, the Humane Society’s kennel manager, said.

There are programs sponsored by the Humane Society as well, usually at elementary schools, to educate people about the pet overpopulation problem and the importance of having animals spayed and neutered.

“This is a low-kill shelter but there are just too many animals, and people need to understand why their animals need to be spayed and neutered,” Sheffield said.

“That [spaying and neutering] is more what we’re about than the adoptions because it’s impossible to adopt out all the homeless animals, it is never going to happen,” Sheffield said.

“Even though we don’t have to kill animals just for space here, we are still very much aware of how many animals are killed. They do come through our doors and we have to send them away because we don’t have enough space and they go to animal control and are killed or they are dumped on the side of the road and they reproduce.”

There were 3 million animals euthanized last year alone, Sheffield said.

However, many people who do not take unwanted pets to be euthanized leave them on the side of the road to fend for themselves. The problem with this is that one mother cat and her litter can turn into 420,000 cats in seven years, Sheffield said.

One of the main reasons the Humane Society sees animals being turned in is because people decide to become a pet owner when they are not allowed to keep animals due to their living situation.

“People need to have a backup plan and make a commitment for the animal’s life,” Elizabeth Bookout, the Humane Society’s assistant manager and founding member of the Appalachian chapter of WAGS, said.

There are counseling opportunities offered by the Humane Society for pet owners who want to give up their animals for behavioral reasons. This counseling helps create solutions so that pets can remain in their homes. There are also training classes held for pets and their owners during the summer.

A dog jog, rescheduled for Oct. 23 due to flooding, is a fundraiser organized by the Watauga County Humane Society. Two separate 3 kilometer races will be held, one for only humans and another for humans with their dogs. First, second and third place prizes will be awarded.

“It’s a rush when you get into a crowd with 30 people and dogs; everyone gets real energized and it’s a lot of fun,” Sheffield said.

The cost to enter the dog jog is $18 in advance and $20 the day of the race. Participants will receive T-shirts.

Many of the Humane Society’s volunteers are Appalachian State University students who are required to complete a set number of hours of community service for various majors or campus organizations.

There are many opportunities for service at the Humane Society. Many volunteers walk dogs, pet cats, clean, organize, put together adoption kits and feed and water. Volunteers can also help with socializing special needs animals that require a little more work.

For more information on adoptions, fundraisers or volunteer opportunities, call the Watauga County Humane Society at 264-7865.