Reasons to Adopt a Pet from the Union County Humane Society
Monday, September 19th, 2016
By Laurie Oppel, Board Member and Volunteer at UCHS
We go through three phases in our lives – learning, earning, and returning – and I’m happily now in stage 3. In addition to becoming a board member at the Union County Humane Society, in the last six months, I have become an active volunteer. And as a volunteer, not only have I adopted a dog, I’ve gotten to see and experience first-hand what you get when adopt a pet from the Union County Humane Society.
So why should you adopt your next pet at the Humane Society? We’ve all heard that it’s the right thing to do because you’ll save a life of an animal who ended up there not because of any fault of their own, but because of the fault of their owners (moving, divorce, financial circumstances, abuse or abandonment). There are so many more reasons that you should consider adopting.
Healthy and Friendly Pets. The Humane Society performs medical check-ups on all animals received. They are current on their vaccinations, are spayed or neutered, wormed, and micro-chipped. Not only are their medical needs taken care of, the shelter staff and volunteers spend numerous hours with the animals socializing the animal with humans and other pets. All of the cats are litter-box trained, and the dogs are housetrained or well on their way to being so. SAFER (Safety Assessment for Evaluation Rehoming) testing (www.aspcapro.org/safer) is also performed on all dogs to evaluate the probability of canine aggression in individual dogs. You can also spend one-on-one time with the animals to make sure you can bond, as well as introduce your existing pets to the new member to ensure they can peacefully cohabitate. Your adopted pet won’t be “damaged goods.”
Low Cost for Adoption and Medical Care for Your Pet. Cats may be adopted for $60 and dog adoptions are $125. These fees cover the cost of spay/neuter, vaccinations, and microchipping. You can also receive vaccinations for your spayed/neutered pet for $10 for each vaccine whether you got your pet from the Humane Society or elsewhere. In addition, the Humane Society performs spaying and neutering for pets every Wednesday – cats are $35 and dogs are $60. So the Humane Society provides great financial value to protect your pet!
Fight Unlicensed Breeders and Puppy Mills. Purebred animals make up 25% of shelter animals, so why adopt from an unlicensed breeder or puppy mill? Animals from puppy mills are housed in shockingly poor conditions with improper medical care, and are often sick and behaviorally troubled as a result. The mommas are kept in cages and are bred over and over for years, and are discarded (killed or abandoned) when they are no longer able to produce. Most puppies sold online or in pet stores come from puppy mills. Puppy mills will continue to operate until people stop supporting them. Adopting a pet from the Humane Society will ensure that you are not giving illegal breeders and puppy mills a single cent.
Your Physical and Mental Health Will Improve. Not only do animals give you unconditional love, but they have been shown to be psychologically, emotionally and physically beneficial. Caring for a companion animal provides a sense of purpose and fulfillment and will lessen feelings of loneliness and isolation regardless of your age.
Help Ensure That Old, Sick, and Injured Animals Are Treated Humanely. The Humane Society is an open admission facility. This means that no animal is turned away – unlike “no kill” shelters that do turn away animals. There is no charge for animals that are surrendered to the Humane Society. We have many stories of injured animals that were taken to the Humane Society and saved by surgery and other medical treatment, and they go on to be adopted as loving members of their new family.
And When the Time Comes. It’s inevitable that the time will come when we need to put our loved one down. The Humane Society provides humane euthanasia for no charge, although a donation is always appreciated.
I have found my experience at our Humane Society to be very rewarding. Consider adopting your next pet from the Humane Society. Or if you have enough pets already, consider supporting them financially and/or with your time. It’s the right thing to do!
The Union County Humane Society is open Monday through Saturday from 10am – 4pm. Call them at 865-992-7969.
Can you tell me how to report a puppy mill in Speedwell TN. Those poor dogs at the doddles and poodles are living in horrible conditions. The owner is Penny Handmacher at 249 Ausmus Lane someone needs to rescue those dogs and puppies.