Furry Friends

Furry Friends

Adopt a new pet for the new year

Posted

They are tremendous companions and excellent stress relievers. Research has proven that they can even increase life expectancy. Dogs are man’s best friend, cats are notorious lap dwellers and America can’t seem to live without their furry buds. Then why is it that the word “pound” deters some people from even walking into the building, dissuading potential adopters? In January, pet adoptions are at a year low – but they don’t need to be.

Animal shelters today are much different than they were 20 years ago. South Kingstown Pound manager, AnnMarie Biegner, says “The quality of animal care [in animal shelters] has increased substantially. We are getting more educated workers in this field.” The pound is kept sanitary and clean and the animals are well-behaved, if not more than pet store animals.

At the South Kingstown Pound, they take the care of their animals seriously and that means the pound does not like to make adoptions available during the holiday season to avoid a “Christmas present gone wrong” return. Moving is stressful for anyone, including animals, and being adopted for the wrong reasons can be emotionally and physically upsetting for the animal. Biegner says there are other issues with Christmas adoptions as well. “There is tinsel, bulbs and lights that pets may eat or swallow.” But while the pound limits these types of adoptions, Biegner says, “If we think it is a good fit, we can put the pet on hold and they can pick it up after [December].”

The pound’s main focus is to return strays to their owners through advertising, lost and found ads and public access to the shelters. But if the owner is not found, they put the animal up for adoption. Usually the adoption rate is lower in the winter months; 33 percent of animals are placed from the months of January through April while 55 percent are claimed by their owner. In the summer months, 56 percent of animals were adopted while only 36 were claimed by the owner. The most common animals to be impounded are cats and kittens.

The South Kingstown Pound has also teamed up with PetSmart, which helps prepare animals for adoption. “PetSmart doesn’t believe in selling dogs and cats for profit,” Biegner said. The pound and store often collaborate to get some of the animals adopted. So how do you know if you are ready to adopt? Biegner says “I don’t know if there is a prime time to adopt. I can’t say one pet is better than the other either; it is based on the individual and the pet. You know when you are ready to adopt.”

animals, pets, adoption, rescue, pound, animal shelter, south county, ri, so rhode island

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here



X