October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month and there is plenty of time to get to your nearest shelter and meet the four-legged love of your life.
Dog adoption means saving one dog’s life, sure, but it means so much more than that. Shelters rely on donations from the public and pet adoption fees to stay afloat.
The Nebraska Humane Society here in Omaha turns no animal in need away. Adoption fees go right back into the shelter to help provide food, enrichment and medical care for up to 30,000 animals yearly.
Hard-working Animal Caregiver staff provides food, kind words and a warm, comfy place for a dog to lay his weary head. Many of the dogs at the shelter have had only themselves to rely on for a very long time.
Dedicated Animal Medical staff provides pain management when needed as well as life-saving antibiotics and surgeries each day. Many of the dogs arriving at the shelter have a mysterious past. They are found with horrific injuries, malnourished, or ill. Big, little, short, tall, aggressive or meek; shelter veterinarians and veterinary technicians care for them all.
Patient Behavior staff helps the more socially-challenged dogs conquer food aggression, shyness and other personality issues. Neglect, abuse, starvation, lack of socialization and abandonment cause dogs to have difficulties adjusting to family life. And, of course, the shelter is a scary place to be.
Adoption staff works hard to match a potential adopter with the dog that best fits his lifestyle. They answer questions and help introduce resident dogs with a new shelter dog, making sure two-legged and four-legged family members stay together.
The shelter’s grooming department shaves away painful mats and gives medicated dips and baths for those dogs with skin problems.
The Foster Care Department places those pets that need a little extra time and attention before they are ready for adoption.
Adoption fees help animals in all these ways and enrich our community by helping alleviate pet overpopulation. These fees also help fund the major animal rescue operations that are conducted by the shelter.
Adopting a shelter dog is an awesome responsibility. The importance of adopting can’t be overstated, because when you do, you help save a shelter full of lives.
Visit the Nebraska Humane Society, 8929 Fort Street in Omaha or Council Bluffs Animal Shelter, 2821 South 15th Street in Council Bluffs for more information.
Check out the slide show to see some of the dogs you could meet at the Nebraska Humane Society!
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