Sound depressing? That's the number one excuse I hear from people that have never been to one.
I've been to a share of animal shelters and rescue groups, and I will admit, some are sad and dank and have an utterly hopeless feeling about them. Others however are inspiring and educational. These are the shelters where the dogs are exercised daily and the cats can hang out in an area that has the appeal of your grandmother's living room.
My all time favorite place is the Oregon Humane Society. I was once an active volunteer there, but now only get the opportunity every now and again to visit the animals. They have approximately 80 kennels for dogs and space for at least that many cats. There is also a room for small animals (rabbits, birds, snakes, guinea pigs and the like). This last week many of the dog kennels were at double occupancy.
Thinking of adopting an animal? Try the shelter before you go to a pet store or breeder. You can often find pure bred dogs if that's your preference and your more likely not to get a pet from a backyard breeder.
Expect to spend about as much time at the shelter as you would to go to a car lot and purchase a car (and no, it's not as aggravating, unless the multitudes of choices are overwhelming to you). Prices range depending on age, size and breed of the animals. All of the furry critters are given a vet exam, spayed/neutered and micro-chipped before leaving OHS and many shelters.
The Oregon Humane Society...
- Has a new medical facility
- Found homes for 99 percent of the dogs at the shelter
- Found homes for 4,550 cats last year, and its cat adoption rate of 86 percent is one of the highest in the nation (the national average is 25 percent for dogs and 20 percent for cats).
- Never euthanizes an animal because of space limitations
- Takes in animals from owners that can no longer keep their pet as well as from other shelters
- There is no mandatory fee for giving a pet to OHS; only a suggested donation
- Helped animals and shelters struck by flooding this last month
- Sent a crew to help rescue Katrina animals
- Has benefits throughout the year including the Doggie Dash
Please go to a shelter, come back and share your experiences.
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