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.