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No plans for the weekend? How about a field trip to your local animal shelter?

By
Real Estate Appraiser with Estimation Nation Corporation

Sound depressing?  That's the number one excuse I hear from people that have never been to one. pound puppies

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.

Oregon Humane Society dogThinking 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 Oregon Humane Society 'Chunky' puppy
  • 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.

 

Comments (8)

Terry Haugen STAGE it RIGHT! 321-956-2495
Stage it Right! - Melbourne, FL
Sara, I'd go in a heartbeat, but I wouldn't come home empty handed :-)  I did humane work for 20 years in Virginia, fostered  12 dogs, and 6 cats, ended up keeping 9 of the dogs and 1 of the cats.  I'm just a sucker for a face.  But I agree with you, there are some really good shelters around the country, worth visiting for the information available, but more importantly to become a volunteer.
Jan 20, 2008 12:29 PM
Sheron Cardin
California Moods Inc - Selma, CA
ARTIST - A Home Stager/Sellers Best Friend!
Hi Sarah, I recently went online and downloaded a volunteer form for our local shelter. My 11 year old will be turning 12 in March and she will be eligible to work there. We are thrilled with her decision to help the animals. She is a real animal lover and it will be good for her to see there is much more to caring for pets than she realizes.
Jan 20, 2008 04:29 PM
Sara Goodwin
Estimation Nation Corporation - Portland, OR
Portland, Oregon Appraiser

Terry - Yep, that's the most dangerous part about shelters... it has the ability to increase your in-home critter population :-)  - Fortunately, with three dogs, a cat and three fish, we're at capacity already - Going to a 'no kill' shelter also makes you realize that the animals you see are on a way to a better life with or without you -

Sheron -  That's great!  The parent/child group make up a huge portion of volunteers at OHS - It seems just as beneficial to the animals as it does to the parent/child relationship as the child steps into their teens.  I think you'll really like it -

Jan 21, 2008 03:23 AM
Terry Haugen STAGE it RIGHT! 321-956-2495
Stage it Right! - Melbourne, FL
Sara, glad to see people are taking their kids to shelters to volunteer.  My son was practically raised as a volunteer for our humane society.  I was a board member and chair of the dog adoption committee so I could take him with me at any age.  You should see their animal collection now?  He learned from me that there is room in your heart for more than a few :-)
Jan 21, 2008 11:40 AM
Patrice Estess
PB APPRAISALS - Kerhonkson, NY
Sara, that is a kick in the butt to me.  I used to volunteer at a local shelter and will get back into it this spring...great blog, I really enjoyed that...
Mar 01, 2008 12:54 AM
Jennifer Esposito
JenRan Realty, LLC - Woodstock, CT

Seems like if the shelters were too nice less people would adopt.  If people think they are dark and dingy they want to rescue an animal that much more.  Believe me, I've seen my share of shelters/pounds/rescues.

Mar 01, 2008 07:22 AM
Sara Goodwin
Estimation Nation Corporation - Portland, OR
Portland, Oregon Appraiser

Terry - I think that's absolutely great... I would have loved to grow up in a family like that!   (sorry the response is a month and a half later)

Patrice - I wish I could kick myself in the butt to go back on active status at our shelter, but OHS has the happy misfortune of having almost too many volunteers and I'd like to focus my energies toward a cause that needs more assistance - How great is that?  They don't need me!

Jennifer - When I try to encourage people to go to the shelter first I usually get the response, 'oh that sounds far too depressing'.  I think that the dingy hopeless environment that they assume all shelters have actually keep them away from facilities like OHS.  I think a cage is a cage... if you see an animal behind bars, its sad regardless of how dank it looks.

Thanks for dropping by!

Mar 02, 2008 03:36 AM
Chris DeSimone
DFW Fine Properties - Southlake, TX
CRS, GRI, Realtor
Sara, kudos to the Oregon Humane Society.  You describe an awesome institution to help our furry friends. And kudos to you for you volunteering and concern for these orphaned pets.  Chris
Mar 03, 2008 02:44 PM