Dozens respond to plea for help for shelter’s pets
May 20th, 2008 Posted in Pet GamesWhen Cindi Middleton learned that Lane County Animal Services is closing its kennels May 29, she knew now was the time to open her own heart.
With sons Conner, 7, and Riley, 2, in tow, she visited an adopt-a-thon held at the shelter Sunday, hoping to provide at least one home for an animal facing an uncertain future.
“I read that they were closing, and we didn’t want them to be put to sleep,” she said, as the trio cuddled their choice, a black-and-white kitten, in the shade.
She was one of dozens of county residents who acted to help the animals threatened by the looming loss of their shelter. By the end of the day, 15 cats and two dogs had found homes, with another two applications for dogs waiting for approval.
The potential loss of $47 million in federal timber funding has left the county facing budget cuts in many programs. Now, it is scrambling to find ways to keep the shelter operating without the $500,000 in county funding that will end July 1, including increased licenserevenue and additional money from the cities. But as of now, Belachaikovsky said, her layoff notice is still for the end of the month.
The shelter will continue to accept all animals until its scheduled close date, which means a Labrador taken in on May 29 may find itself with no place to go May 30, Belachaikovsky said. However, there is a possibility that a pared-down crew will be kept on hand until the cages are empty, she said.
“I really had given up last week until Wednesday, when I thought, ‘We’ve got to do something!’?” the employee of four years said. “If we close, it’s unacceptable that any animal be euthanized simply because we were unable to find it a home.”
On a few days notice, she wrangled together local nonprofit groups Save the Pets and Luv-A-Bull pit bull rescue, an adoption expert from Greenhill Humane Society and more than two dozen volunteers, who brought the shelter’s approximately 20 dogs and 20 cats out into the sunshine to socialize.
Save the Pets president Lori Smith said that, although the shelter’s impending end is tragic, it has served to mobilize the community.
“If anything, I think it (the threat of closure) has increased awareness,” Smith said. “The public is recognizing the dilemma we’re having.”
Jason and Lisa Hess brought their 12-year-old son, Jason Jr., and their Labrador and boxer mix, Bo, to see if Snoopy, a shelter dog, would be a good fit.Although Snoopy is a bit wary of men, the Hesses decided to take the plunge. He went home with them that afternoon.
“He’s very cute,” Lisa Hess said of her choice. Her husband, she said, “is more of the dog person than anyone, so he’s willing to overcome lots of obstacles. We just really believe in adopting rather than buying.”
That attitude is welcomed by both Smith and Luv-A-Bull founder Liesl Wilhardt, who said losing the county shelter — which sees about 5,000 dogs and cats come through its doors each year — will put a huge strain on smaller rescue groups.Save the Pets has already felt the strain as volunteers have begun taking on the task of trying to find foster homes or other options for county animals.
If animal services becomes an enforcement-only agency, eliminating the shelter, the group will try and collect “as many animals as we can” after they hit their three-to-five day time limit at the county site, Smith said. Save the Pets’ Sunday adoption at Key Bank on Coburg Road will also begin again on June 8.
Tags: adoption, animals, budget cuts, cats, county animal services, county residents, dogs, dogs and cats, dozen volunteers, dozens, federal timber, few days, foster homes, greenhill humane society, humane society, kitten, labrador, layoff notice, lear, loc, lori, nonprofit groups, Pet, pets, pit bull, pit bull rescue, rescue groups, sleep, thon, two dogs, uncertain futureRelated posts
Tags: adoption, animals, budget cuts, cats, county animal services, county residents, dogs, dogs and cats, dozen volunteers, dozens, federal timber, few days, foster homes, greenhill humane society, humane society, kitten, labrador, layoff notice, lear, loc, lori, nonprofit groups, Pet, pets, pit bull, pit bull rescue, rescue groups, sleep, thon, two dogs, uncertain future
