Pet Adoption: One Woman's Story

Trying to find a source that would document their adoption experience was more difficult than I expected. Then, my mom reminded me of a family friend, who had seen the good and "bad" of shelter adoption. This is her story.

Although Kim* use to buy animals from pet stores, she is now an avid believer in adopting pets from the shelter. Nine years ago, while Kim was at the local fair, she spotted the cat shelter booth and decided to take a look. "I had no intention of buying a cat, but I ended up falling in love," she said. A pair of blue eyes peered out at Kim, and she knew this was a cat she wanted to save.

Photo Credit: Amber James
The note that was written on Cinder's cage when Kim adopted the cat.

Cinder lived to be 15 and remained a very healthy cat. "She was feisty and loving. She knew we saved her," Kim said. Although Cinder died on November 6, 2006, Kim still has pictures of the cat around the house. "She was part of our family. You can't throw those memories away," she said.

The Other Side: Shelter Disease

Although most of Kim's pet adoption stories have been of success, her recent adoption has been a troubling one. Two months ago, she adopted a cat, who appeared healthy but had a sinus and ear infection. Kim spent weeks visiting the vet and buying medications. "I wondered why no one at the shelter told me the cat was sick," Kim said. "But I wasn't going to return her." The cat also tested positive for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), also known as "kitty AIDS." This virus is passed through saliva and bites.

Photo Credit : Amber James

Although this was not Kim's best shelter experience, she still advocates pet adoption. People just need to be aware of underlying diseases that may not be noticeable, she said.

*Last name has been omitted due to the source's request.

Final Thoughts:
Whether a pet is bought at the shelter or pet store, there are millions of animals looking for a place to call home. Pet owners need to take responsibility and understand the consequences of letting their pets produce a litter. Over the past couple weeks, I have learned that the pet overpopulation is a result of neglecting to spay and neuter pets. According to the Lodi animal shelter Web site, "Each day 10,000 humans are born in the U. S., and each day 70,000 puppies and kittens are born."

Before adopting a pet, people should also be aware of the costs that are included. There is a financial commitment that many people do not consider before falling in love with a furry friend.

Photo Credit: Amber James

YOUR TURN:

• Have you ever adopted a pet? What was your experience like? Did you run into any problems?


• (For those who have adopted): What advice would you give to people who are thinking about adopting a pet?

Setting the record straight...

In 2006, the dog shelter took in 1,329 dogs.

• 91 puppies were adopted.
• 77 adult dogs were adopted.
• 28 were found by their owners.
• 1,133 were euthanized.
  

"These statistics are the same for the whole nation," said Jamie Perry, the Athens County dog warden. "Petland has no influence on these numbers. There is just a national problem with animal overpopulation,"he said.

The main concern for shelters is community awareness and responsibly to spay and neuter their pets. The local shelter provides coupons for reduced veterinary care that includes the for mentioned service. Perry estimates that at least 80% of pets in Athens County are not spayed or neutered. "When someone adopts a pet, they need to care for the animal. Feed it. Walk it. But first and foremost, get the animal spayed and neutered. People need to start being responsible," he said.

Perry denies any conflicts with Petland. "The people looking for pets at a pet store are looking for a specific breed," he said. "These are not the same people who adopt pets from shelters. Petland is not as bad as everyone thinks."

Two Petland employees volunteered their time when one Athens County resident was caught hoarding animals. Hundreds of animals, covered in bodily fluid and not cared for, were found at the resident's home. "These animals were disgusting and needed a lot of care that our shelter could not have handled alone," Perry said. The volunteers put in 40 hour work weeks to help the shelter in the time of need.

In addition to Petland's services, Wal-mart also helps the shelter financially. When any bag of dog food is ripped, it is donated to the dog shelter. The financial burden of feeding hundreds of animals can be costly, Perry said, so any donations are appreciated. Ohio's Spay and Neuter Grant donated $4,000 to the shelter. This money will "only help fund about 75 dogs, but I am not complaining," Perry said.

re: Clarification

Petland and the Athens County Dog Shelter have ended their Adopt-a-Pet partnership. It dissolved after numerous Athens County citizens complained to the commissioners. Animal rights activists did not think Petland had the county's interests in mind and appealed the partnership.

Jamie Perry, Athens County dog warden, said Petland provided a valuable service and wishes they could still have a business agreement with the store. "I understand both sides, but Petland reduced a lot of stress at the shelter by taking in some of our dogs," he said.

There are no plans for future partnerships.

How much is that dog in the window?

When Petland announced its plans to open in Athens, the citizen's disdain grew as they fought to protect the Appalachian town and its shelter. How would the local shelter, that was euthanizing hundreds of pets, be able to compete with a national pet store chain? Despite contention, the store opened in May 2004.

The city's spaying and neutering law would be the beginning of many court transactions for Petland. In order to control the pet population, Athens city council passed an ordinance that required all pets over six months old to be spayed and neutered -- otherwise they could not be sold. Petland tried to fight the law stating that the store should not be fined $100 if they could not prove that every pet sold had the necessary veterinary work.

Photo Credit: Amber James


Finally, the city and Petland compromised, repealing the ordinance. Petland eventually teamed with the Athens County dog shelter in 2006 to create the Adopt-A-Pet program. Through this program, the store adopts puppies from the shelter and vaccinates and deworms them. The city's hope is that this program will reduce the number of dogs the county has to put to sleep.


Pet Stores and Puppy Mills

Puppy Mills. Everyone has heard of them, but what is being done to stop pet stores from purchasing from these animal concentration camps? Stop Puppy Mills created a video to inform the public about the mill's controversy. Pet stores rely on this underground "business" to stay open. As long as people continue to buy from pet stores, puppy mill owners will continue to exploit these animals for profit. Why buy a dog at the pet store for hundreds (or thousands) of dollars, when you can adopt a pet from the shelter instead?

The puppy mill controversy even made it to the November Ohio ballot, but most people did not know about it. Named Ohio House Bill 606 and Senate Bill 342, the bill would help minimize animal cruelty by establishing minimum operating standards for kennels. Kennel owners would be required to have insurance to cover the cost of any needed dog care. The bill failed.

Before you fall head-over-hells for that adorable dog in the pet store window, make sure you know how to find a good pet breeder.


YOUR TURN

• What should be done to stop animal cruelty and puppy mills?


• Is the general public naive when it comes to pet store animals?


• Should Petland be responsible for spaying and neutering their pets? Or is it the buyers' responsibility?

When Pet Shelters Close...

Photo Credit: Amber James

On November 28, 2005, the Athens County Humane Society cat shelter closed its doors after the shelter's owners were forced to sell the property. According to an Athens News article, the shelter did not euthanize during its last few months of business. But when the shelter was euthanizing cats, it was killing up to 200 cats a month, said manager Marla Brooks-Verity.

In an e-mail interview with Lynn Kneile, president of Athens County Humane Society, she stated the animal overpopulation is a serious issue. "We are concentrating our efforts to promote the importance of spaying and neutering, so that there is not a burden on animal shelters within a community. In my mind, it is disrespectful to allow a litter of puppies or kittens to be born, only to discard them shortly thereafter," Kneile said.

Although the shelter has closed, volunteers are extending their efforts to educate and raise awareness about the advantages of pet adoption. Kneile insists that those looking for a new pet should consider adoption because these animals should be given a chance at life.

Many shelters are now posting their pets online, so adopters can easily access shelters nationwide and find the type of pet they wish to adopt - without leaving their homes.


Key advantages of adopting shelter pets:
(Source: Lynn Kneile)

1. Much, if not all, of the veterinary work is already done prior to adoption.
   
2. When animals are in foster homes, they are ready for "house life" and/or being trained.
   
3. The foster caregivers can better inform adopters of the dog or cat's personality, temperament, and behavior because they share living space.
   
4. Choosing to adopt a juvenile or adult cat or dog is a great option for families that are not able to spare the time to train and raise a baby animal.
   

YOUR TURN

• What is your reaction to the number of animals that are euthanized in our country?

Home Sweet Home?

Having adopted three animals at the local pet shelter, I have witnessed the inadequate resources available to community shelters. Hundreds of animals are sometimes packed into small buildings with only a few volunteers to take care of them. Although the volunteers are passionate about their work, they are unable to meet every animals' needs.

Just last week, I adopted my third cat, Emma, from the Cats 'N' Us shelter in Dover, Ohio. According to the cat shelter's records, Emma's previous owners dropped her off because they were expecting a baby and did not want animals in the house. This otherwise healthy cat lived in the shelter for 3 months before I saved her. Emma is very loving and protective -- watching me from the window when I leave and wanting my attention when I come home. It is obvious that Emma knows I have given her a better life than she had in the shelter. But there are over 100 cats (just at this shelter) still looking for a place to call home. I started to wonder what national pet adoption statistics were available and if my local shelter resembled "the norm." Was animal overpopulation a local or national problem?

Photo Credit: Amber James




The Truth Hurts: Facts About Animal Overpopulation & Shelters

According to the U.S. Humane Society, "Each year communities are forced to spend millions of taxpayer dollars trying to cope with the consequences of this surplus of pets. These public costs include services such as investigating animal cruelty, humanely capturing stray animals, and sheltering lost and homeless animals." Many shelter volunteers across the U.S. have been trying to educate communities by encouraging pet adoption and spay/neuter programs. But animal overpopulation is still a prevalent issue in the United States.

Even though it is tempting to run to the local pet store, shelter volunteers plea that families need to consider adopting animals instead. According to the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy:

• approximately 8 million to 12 million animals in the United States are put in animal shelters every year
  
• over 5 million (otherwise healthy) animals are euthanized because they are not adopted.

Over the next few weeks, I hope to showcase (through candid interviews and photos) that no animals should be left behind.


YOUR TURN:

• What's your view of shelter animals?
  
• Would you ever consider adopting one as a pet? Why or why not?