BUCKHANNON – LUV 4 Animals will showcase five dogs and cats at Southern States this Saturday, Aug. 14, for an adoption event.
President of LUV 4 Animals Desiree Poling said the event will start at 10 a.m. and last until 1 p.m.
“All of the cats that are coming are fixed, so they’ll only be $15 to adopt, and they’ve all been fixed and have their rabies vaccines,” Poling said. “Some of the dogs have been fixed, and if they have been, they’ll be $30. If the dog hasn’t been fixed yet, they’ll be $70, but that will come with a $50 voucher that goes towards their spay or neuter that can be used in most areas, and that is required by law to do, so you will have to pay for it one way or another.”
All the dogs have also received their rabies shots and DHHPV vaccines, and they have been dewormed. Poling said LUV 4 Animals volunteers bring cats and dogs from the Lewis-Upshur Animal Control Facility to other locations because not enough people make it to the facility.
“We don’t get a lot of foot traffic up there,” she said. “It’s just out of the way, so anytime we can get into town and raise awareness or catch people while they’re out running errands, versus having them have to make a trip up there, it’s worth it. Plus, a lot of times businesses like Southern States will want to do something to give back to the community.”
The animals selected for the adoption event are some of the most sociable creatures at the LUAC facility.
“The animals we bring to the events are typically the friendliest that we have,” Poling said. “Obviously, we don’t want to bring any animals that might be a little more timid. The ones we’re bringing out are super friendly, so you’re getting the best of the best as far as personality goes.”
She said they also encourage everyone to adopt, not shop.
“There’s so many people that are surprised at the great pets you can find because people surrender pets for so many reasons, whether they didn’t realize what they were getting into with a puppy or circumstances in their lives have changed,” Poling said. “We had a purebred Shar Pei, which are expensive, and she was adopted pretty quickly, but we also have a beautiful Bobtail cat right now at the pound and we have some polydactyl cats, which people always love.”
The adoption events also give the staff a chance to free up space at the facility.
“It’s one facility for two counties, and not a lot of places are like that, so there’s only 16 dog kennels and the number of animals that get brought in is insane,” Poling said. “Hundreds are brought in and when we have events like this, it gives us a chance that to get all five dogs adopted. Then, that’s five whole kennels, which is almost half the shelter we could open up. That would be amazing.”
First-time pet owners can also utilize an adoption packet LUV 4 Animals assembled for new pet parents.
“One of our volunteers and members, Robin Keough, put together an adoption packet for first-timers, so a lot of people might be unsure about what they’re getting into, or they don’t know how to housebreak a dog, and this offers step-by-step instructions to follow,” Poling said. “Maybe they’re afraid to bring another cat into a home with a dog they have, and we have information on how to introduce those animals together, so we do have those packets of information. You’re not just coming in and getting sent home blind. We’re here to help you.”
Those unable to adopt an animal can donate to LUV 4 Animals on their Facebook page and volunteer at the LUAC facility.
“We have a heartworm-positive dog right now in foster care that’s going cost us $1,000 to $2,000, and we get animals fixed monthly, so we can always use donations, and you can find that information on our Facebook page, but more than that we need people,” Poling said. “If we had people to come to the facility to sit in the kennel with the scared dogs or go up and take the dogs out for a walk or pet the scared kitty that hasn’t had a lot of human contacts, it makes them more adoptable and makes them more rescue-doable. We just we need bodies.”
