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Subscribe to RSSWith tens of thousands of pets waiting for adoption, some animal shelters are taking a new approach to make adoption easier. NBC's John Yang reports.
By Laura Allenbaugh
NBC News
JOPLIN, Mo. -- When Denny Flowers looked at Lucy, it was love at first sight.
He found the 8-year-old Shih Tzu on the Joplin Humane Society Facebook page last year. She had been abused, and she was nearly blind from head trauma. The medical costs associated with taking Lucy home meant she was often overlooked.
But those hurdles didn't sway Flowers.
"She curled up on my chest when I was holding her," he said. "It was, 'Yep, we're going home.'"
She was so sick, the first night he had her Flowers didn't think she would make it. But the money Flowers saved went straight to medical bills, and three months later she was sniffing her way around the yard with Flowers and his two teenage daughters doting on her.
"I was lucky to find her," said Flowers, who lives in Joplin, Mo.
Lucy made such an impression that he now sponsors a new animal each month with his coworkers, paying the $60 adoption fee so that new owners don't have to. Flowers is one of more than 400 sponsors who have agreed to fund a dog or cat living at the Joplin Humane Society in the three months since the program started.
Dani Reynolds at the Joplin Humane Society created the sponsorship program after last year's devastating tornadoes.
She posts pictures of the shelter's dogs and cats on the nonprofit's Facebook page. Followers of the site who can't take in a pet but want to help can sponsor an animal with a one-time $60 donation. When a dog or cat is sponsored, their $60 adoption fee is paid by the sponsor, leaving the new owner with only a $10 fee to have the dog or cat microchipped.
"It just helps relieve that [financial] burden," said Reynolds.
Sponsorship programs have been on the rise across the nation, according to ASPCA Membership Vice President Steve Froehlich, especially as more shelters take to Facebook and Twitter to advertise their adoptable pets.
The process allows potential pet owners to take a second look at older or bigger dogs who are often overshadowed by puppies.
"If it's a sick animal, they don't have to pay the fee ahead of time so they can go straight to medical treatment," she said. "Or if it's a big dog, they can pay straight to make sure their fence is secure."
The Humane Society shelter in Joplin, Mo., has had sponsors as far away as California and England who want to help their animals find a home.
"That's where the people are and our job as shelter professionals is to get the message in front of as much people as possible and to find the most cost effective way of using resources to get that message out," said Froehlich.
Effective, he says, because it is the sponsor that becomes the advocate, posting pictures of the animal they're sponsoring and encouraging others to share the photo.
"[The sponsor] can become a talent agent a representative for the animal and they can take it on themselves to help promote that animals story and find a home for them," he said.
Each new sponsor has become a thrill for Reynolds, who said she never dreamed they'd see more than a dozen or so. But with almost 300 dogs and more than 130 cats at the Joplin Humane Society, there is still a lot of work to be done.
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Sponsors, fosters, adopters not buyers are the best!!!!
I've got three rescuses 2 cats and a Corgi. There isn't enough cash on the planet to persuade me to give them up. Unconditional love is a tremendous feeling.
I think this is fantastic! I wish every shelter would do this and it would really help get these animals forever homes. People like me, who cannot take anymore pets, would be glad to sponsor! I have four rescue kitties myself. I didn't even get them from a shelter but have literally taken all four of them off of the street! I love my fur babies and would love to give all animals the love and attention my furballs get. I think this would be a far better way to get all shelters to no-kill status.
The article brought tears to my eyes... I think animals are very precious gifts. I have two dogs and one cat... and of course I want another dog... but it is the price of food that holds me back....and I cringe when I think of the vet bills and I use the clinics to get their yearly shots...that really helps. BUT I just keep putting away a little bit of money every month and it adds up . :-)) I, so much, just want another cattle dog! :-)))))
I love hearing stories like this...
Great story. Awesome.
how about donating the money so people can get their pet spade or nuetered.for every animal adopted out,ten more are born on the streets.
@spiceman for some people a good deed is just never enough is it? Instead of criticizing, why dont you start an effort to help folks pay to have their animals spayed? Guess its easier to sit at the computer complaining.
@njcyn
You must be talking to yourself; I don't see anything critical in spiceman's comment.
"Guess"? Sounds more like you know it for a fact.
In Wyoming we have a traveling pet clinic, all they do is go to differant towns and offer a spay an nueter clinc for very resonable prices like 35.00 for a spay and 10.00 for a nueter and if you go to the local animal control office they will give you a voucher and it doesn't cost you a dime. The local vets want 195.00 to 200.00 for a spay and 150.00 to 175.00 for a nueter. So this is a very good program. And yes in some way the public foots the bill for the vouchers. But it is worth it.
Hi Spiceman, I may be mistaken, but I think the adoption fee covers the neutering or spaying. I know when I got my last dog at Meridian Humane Society, they took the dog to be spayed, I payed for it and I could then go and pick her up when she was ready to go home. My fee to adopt her covered her shots and some other small thing. They operate on a very tight budget and do a fantastic job. They rely on donations of money and food and they use vet clinics that will give them a discount for their shots. They make sure that they get their shots before they are adopted too. I use the same Vet, who has clinics on Saturday for their yearly shots and that really helps out cuz I have the two dogs and one cat... I have to space out their 'shots' visit throught the year and that works out good for me.
How many of these excess animals wouldn't be here at all if owners routinely fixed their pets? But no, my little bully boy wouldn't be a "real dog" without his manhood, or thinking there are no rogue animals out there waiting for your bitch to go into heat.
And then there's the ultimate crime of simply letting your animal go because you don't want it anymore and are too lazy to find it a new home or too cowardly to put it down (cat owners in particular seem to do this).
We trivialize pet ownership instead of treating it like the serious commitment it is.
I believe that the adoption fee covers basic shots, a medical exam and neutering in most shelters. In the places I've lived in our nation they always have; and yes, I am an adopter.
AG99...........These are from Katrina and the likes.
Neutering and spading is manatory in animals shelters around the Denver area. I have a recue dog and cat. This would be a great way to help more animals since I am unable to care for more in my tiny house. A loving family without the means of paying the adoptions fees sound great to me. What a great story.
CRYSTAL: If these animals are from Katrina, they're waaay overdue for homes. Probably about to die of old age by now.
(The story indicates they're from last year's tornadoes.)
Don't forget the shelters for birds and small animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs.
I took in a 30 year old parrot who lived another 35 years.
I agree. Especially so close to Easter, soon the shelters will be full of rabbits who suddenly weren't cute enough when they grew or were not nice enough when they hit puberty and no one wanted to spend the money to get it fixed.
It's how we got our little terror, Rogue. Except she never made it to the shelter, she was just dumped in the yard to "set her free" after the 12 year old got sick of her a month after Easter. When she was found in our yard she had fleas, was underweight and had oil all over her back from sleeping and hiding under cars. We already had a young boy rabbit, so it was a matter of getting them both fixed and adding her to the family. She was a large-ish rabbit already, and after just a few months she nearly doubled in weight. We've had them both for about 3 years now. She's a little nippy, not very snuggly and panics if she thinks she's going outside. She isn't anything we'd call a "nice" bunny, but she's ours, we don't care, and we love her.
For anyone who would ever consider an Easter rabbit for a child, don't do it, and wait until after the holiday is well over. They don't make good kids pets and buying an Easter rabbit encourages a terrible practice by pet stores all over.
I don't know how I feel about this. It's generally advisable for there to be some kind of adoption fee since people tend to treat pets that they acquired for free less-well then those that cost a little money. I do know there are homes that have enough to care for an animal (assuming minimal vet bills) but the adoption fee is prohibited but I doubt that describes many situations and this may attract less dedicated owners.
I do think any donations to shelters is great though and I hope that it is working to find these pets good homes regardless of my trepidation.
My thoughts exactly.
Specials & Discounts get discussed periodically at the shelter where I spend time, but the prevailing logic is that If $50 or so is the difference between someone being able to take an anmial home or not then maybe that person shouldn't be adopting.
Hi EmilyinIowa, I just read what you wrote and it got me to thinking.... There are folks who just can't afford the adoption fee so they do not adopt. But when the adoption fee is lowered or doesn't exist, then they can adopt.... Well... I got to thinking.. if they can't afford the adoption (one-time fee) ... then how can they afford to take care of the animal??? It made me wonder how many animals would end up being adopted if that was the case???
With prior experience working in a veterinary hospital I know that many people do not want to spend money on a pet after they adopt it. If someone can't afford the low adoption fee and the medical care that goes along with it they should not have a pet. Many people have come in with a sick pet that was adopted and said "well, duh, I didn't think I'd have to spend money on this thing". I always wanted to scream! Instead of a sponsorship program, I believe that the shelter should use the money as needed. Do not give free pets away.
I think it's good to donate to shelters. However, I do have to point out one thing. The money donated should be used to support the shelter instead of covering the adoption fees for other people. If $60 is a burden to a family, they should probably not adopt a pet. Taking care of a pet is expensive, especially if it is done right. Vet bills, food, grooming and monthly flea/tick and heartworm preventative add up. Just the monthly preventatives cost about$30 per month for a big dog. It costs me $75 a month to buy dog food for my 2 dogs. I don't understand how a rescue shelter can give animals to people who can't afford to care for them. They'll end up neglected or discarded.
I wish people thought more about the actual costs of owning an animal. They never seem to think ahead to the future, just the cost of the animal and maybe bowls and a leash. It costs me about $60 just to feed two rabbits and 3 rats for almost a month. (Although they do get the good stuff, I feed only Oxbow.) This isn't counting bedding or other things like cleaning supplies or toys. It also only counts the regular pet store food and hay, not the added veggies and whatnot. And it also isn't counting the money I make sure I have on the side for "just in case". On a bad month for costs, it can easily hit $100 or more, if someone needs a vet trip.
I agree, if you can't even do the adoption fee, then you can't afford the animal, period.
I didn't officially adopt my boxer, instead she found me because my realtor said that she needed a new home. I didn't pay a penny for her, but have paid plenty for her over the years between spaying (yes, I had no problem getting my pure-bred boxer spayed), heartworm prevention, annual shots, flea/tick prevention, and three surgeries (one emergency visit for a bad cut and two for removal of benign masses). I didn't set out to get a boxer, but she was a good fit and I have been devoted to taking care of her for the rest of her life. She in turn has been my shadow and loyal gaurd dog. She is great with my 3 yr old and people in general.
That being said, I like the idea of being able to sponsor an animal at a local shelter until they are adopted. I would rather see the fee go to defer the costs of treatment and overhead, though, so that shelters can help more animals and move toward a no-kill environment.
You can sponsor pets while they are waiting to be adopted - go through petfinder.com and most if not all have that option. :)
All good points that can be worked on. I have lots of animals myself. My Vet is someone I love to death.. He is on my speed dial helping me so I can be proactive instead of reactive with their care. I do believe that if you cannot take care and treat with respect a animal how care you treat a human with the same care? If we do not take care of a lower species how can you treat a disabled person or elderly with compassion? That list can go on indefinitely. I love my animals and I try to do right by them... That is what we all need to do.. That we destroy 3 to 4 million animals a year is a dark stain on us as humans.
There are people that take low/no cost animals, free to good home, type ads that collect animals and sell them to animal testing labs. I also watched a video of large dogs used for shark fishing. They put a hook in the muzzle of the dog and threw them in the water. The thrashing attracted the sharks. It is important to make the charge for the animal more than what someone would be paid for another terrible purpose.