By Rae Martin
When I first met Grace, I was surprised by her beauty and vibrancy. For an old gal who had been living in a shelter for more than five years, her giant brown and black fur coat was extremely well-maintained, and her liquid amber eyes were full of life and unconditional love for anyone willing to take a walk with her. In fact, Grace is an eight-year-old Chow mix who has spent more than half of her life in the Alachua County Humane Society.
Grace enjoys being around people: all of the shelter’s employees are enamored with her, and she is great with kids. But she isn’t a young dog. And the older she gets, the more likely it is that she will spend the remainder of her life in the Humane Society’s shelter. Unfortunately for Grace, she has other factors going against her adoption. She doesn’t like to live with other dogs or cats and her breed, Chow, is sometimes banned from neighborhoods and apartment complexes. She was adopted once, for about a year, but her owner was transferred and couldn’t take her.
I met Grace at the biannual Adoptathon at the Oaks Mall.
The event happens in April and December, and several shelters from around the area participate. All of the shelters are part of Maddie’s Fund, whose goal is to stop the euthanasia of healthy and adoptable pets in the U.S. This means that, with the exception of Alachua County Animal Services, all of the shelters in the area are no-kill shelters where pets like Grace can receive food, water, shelter and love without the fear of being killed if they stay too long.
Alachua County Animal Services must collect all animals that are reported or discovered and, therefore, cannot hold animals indefinitely. Other shelters in the area collect the healthiest and most adoptable pets from Animal Services and do their best to find them loving homes.
Summer is a great time for students to think about adopting a pet. Schedules are lighter, so you can spend more time getting to know and training your new companion.
I encourage all residents of Alachua County to consider adoption this summer, but I encourage you to do it responsibly.
“Be prepared to have this animal come into your life – the sincere commitment you’re making,” advised Peg Fraser, kennel manager and adoption coordinator for Haile’s Angels Pet Rescue.
Fraser said all animals must be given nutritional food, plenty of exercise and veterinary care when warranted. She also encourages her adopters to make the pets indoor pets because in Florida there are a lot of risk factors for outdoor pets, such as ticks, snakes, alligators and the heat.
Students need to understand that a pet is not a pair of shoes and that it must become a priority in your life, Fraser said. Because students’ schedules change so often, they must craft the schedule around their new pet.
Often students will take home an animal, only to realize after a month or two that they cannot keep it, Fraser said.
“It really hurts an animal’s psyche to be given a home and then returned for no understandable reason to them,” she said.
This is why she advises students to really think about how much time and energy they can commit to the pet before adopting it. She also urged anyone who feels they cannot keep a pet to bring it back to the shelter they adopted it from and not take it to Animal Services, where it may be euthanized.
So, if you’re considering adopting a pet, what do you need to think about?
Where are you going to get your pet? Adopting a pet from a shelter rather than buying an animal from a pet store or breeder is ideal. These animals are in desperate need of a home.
There are so many shelters and so many needy animals that if you just keep looking for a few weeks, you’re more than likely to find the perfect companion.
Also, adopting from a shelter saves you money. Adoption fees vary depending on the shelter, but dogs are around $125, which usually includes a free vet visit, all shots and sterilization. The same procedures can cost more than $200 if you go to a vet on your own. Some also include a month of pet health insurance, a month of flea and heartworm medication, and a bag of food.
According to Emily Sanders, an office assistant, the average cost to Animal Services per pet is $350, but they only charge an average of $100 for adoption fees.
Many shelters will also reduce the adoption fee for pets that have been at the shelter for an extended time, like Grace.
But perhaps most important to consider is what type and age of animal are you planning on adopting? These are major factors in how much time and effort you will have to dedicate to your pet.
First, cats are much easier than dogs. Cats still need plenty of food and attention but not as much as dogs. And kittens do not need the vast amount of training that a puppy does.
A grown cat will still be easier than a kitten. Most kittens will know instinctively to use their litter box. They will not know, however, not to claw the furniture or knock over your glass or drink your milk while you’re eating your cereal.
In my experience with kittens – I’ve adopted two during my stint in Gainesville – the most important thing is kitten-proofing the apartment and giving them plenty of toys to take out their claws on.
Dogs are on an entirely different level. If you get a puppy, plan on being home with it a lot during the first few weeks. My roommate recently adopted a beagle puppy and has had to rearrange her life for him. She drives to campus so that she can come home between classes to take him out and play with him and gets up during the night for emergency walks. She can’t go out without lining up someone to take the dog out and make sure he has water. She has decided to go with the crate-training method of house training, which means someone needs to be here to take him out every hour.
The training method you use on your puppy is another thing you will have to consider. There are several different methods, but each should be researched thoroughly before getting your puppy.
Although sometimes it seems like my roommate may have gotten over her head, Larry the Beagle has brought a tremendous amount of joy into our apartment. A pet is a learning experience and a friend. It is someone who will always listen and never interrupt, someone who will curl up with you on a rainy day, a jogging partner and someone who will love you just for coming home to him every day. A dog or cat can be the best pick-me-up after a terrible day.
I encourage everyone who has the time to go out and adopt a dog or cat in need of a home, because if you love them, they will always love you back.
