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| Butch: Owner died |
This is Butch. He's a darling of a boy and quite a fat cat. But I'm crazy about him. Before I started working at the animal shelter, I wasn't the biggest cat fan. I had only a few interactions with them as a child and I was allergic so needless to say, we weren't close. But now being around them and taking care of them, I love them all.
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| Callie: gas station drop off |
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| Bear: stray |
It is wonderful to see these homeless animals come in and then leave with a loving family who wants to care for them. But I never feel so much anger towards people who abandon these animals for any variety of "reasons." Unwanted gift. Circumstances have changed. My lifestyle doesn't suite them anymore. I didn't want a dog in the first place. Unwanted litter. Some are tied to the fence with a sign with their name.
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| Baxter: house cat, never claimed |
Some dogs do well in the shelter, meaning they can cope well with being around other dogs all day and in kennels all night. Others don't. They howl when they're alone and get trampled in the crowd of other canines. Most of the cats are in cages during the day. Occasionally they'll have a friend in there with them, but generally the only social interaction is when volunteers come to play with them or potential adopters stop by to take a look.
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| Abbey: owner never claimed |
In the town of Rexburg, we get well over 1000 animals a year. The majority of those animals are cats. People will put out traps to catch some strays before they freeze. Other people just call and ask what to do with the frozen ones. Other cats we get most definitely had owners but the cat got lost and the owner's never went to find it. They can always just get another one right?
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| Louie: stray |
The cats and dogs you see in the shelter up for adoption are the lucky ones who've made it through the weather, the abuse and to someone who cares if they live or die.
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| Rusty: country drop off |
We've gotten quite a few puppies lately. Petey and Val were dropped off in the country. Callie was abandoned at a gas station. Then of course there's the whole litter that someone just didn't plan on, so we'll just take care of them. It wasn't your fault your dog followed his/her mating instincts is it? You can always find homes for the puppies/kittens.
Allow me to vent for a minute. Did you know that over 7 MILLION healthy, adoptable animals are euthanized every year due to animal overpopulation. Sure that's sad, but you're not part of it right? Wrong. It affects you in so many ways. If you're not a pet owner, your city still foots the euthanasia bill, impounding costs and animal control costs. Solution: Spay or neuter your animals. Click
here for more information. Thanks.
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| Petey: country drop off |
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| Sheera: stray |
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| Zen: Owner lifestyle change |
Sometimes, I just can't take it. These sweet little souls have no one in the world who cares about them, so I've decided that it will just have to be me. Petey and Val came in on Valentine's Day (hence her name). Val is an American Bulldog (different than an English bulldog which is what you're thinking of right now) or a Boxer. She is half the size of her brother and the most picked on pup out of all the dogs. So I brought her home for a couple days.
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| Best friends at first site. |
She is the most darling puppy I've ever met. She loves to snuggle right by you and sleep. When it was time for bed though, Dave insisted we make her up her own bed. And she loved it. She is a happy, playful little girl who is so soft and gentle. She hardly chews at all (amazing for a puppy) and is calm ALL the time.
If we could have a dog, we would. And we would understand the commitment we'd made to give that animal a home forever, to take care of her even if it cost money and that nothing is better than lots of love.
