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Shelter pets make great gifts; first, check with the recipient
EDMOND — The 2-year-old dog spent much of his life at the Edmond Animal Shelter before David and Diane Smith saw him featured last month on Edmond Life TV. During the shelter’s Paws, Pets and Pals segment, the camera zoomed on Jack’s wagging tail.
“The greatest gift we have given ourselves this season was to add Jack’s sweet, loving spirit to our family,” David said, two weeks after adopting the black and white terrier mix. “Giving Jack a good home, and seeing how happy this has made him, has been a great way for us to experience giving and receiving.”
In an effort to encourage adoption of more dogs and cats, and one rabbit, Edmond Animal Welfare reduced their adoption fee through Jan. 2. The regular fee of $70 is now $40 for dogs and $35 for cats; the rabbit is $10. Also trying to encourage adoption, the Smiths joined other families who enthusiastically described their new pet experiences.
Kennedy Smith, 7, from a different Smith family, adopted a 5-month-old kitten on Sept. 22. “I love Pebbles because he’s cute. He’s all gray, and he has a white spot on his chest,” she said. “He’s my favorite kitty in the whole wide world. Pebbles likes to bring treasures to me in bed at night. It’s so funny because he always sleeps on my head.”
Diane Mahon said her adoption experience began in April when she first read a story about Hooch on the Pets Page of The Edmond Sun. Five months later, in a story on the shelter’s fall adopt-a-thon, she noticed a sentence saying everyone at the shelter was pulling for Hooch to be adopted.
When Diane and her reluctant husband came to the September adopt-a-thon to meet Hooch, the 9-year-old bull mastiff and chow mix won them over. “We absolutely adore him,” said Diane. “I can’t imagine not having him now.”
Diane described Hooch as the “sweetest, most easy going dog” who wants to be “smack in the middle of everyone.” She said Hooch doesn’t have to be on a leash when they go on a walk, and he sleeps in bed with her teenage son. “There’s something about shelter dogs,” said Diane. “They’re so happy to be part of a family.”
Ruth King also visited the adopt-a-thon, and was won over by a cat. “Momma had so much personality and was so cute when she was running loose on the adoption day,” said Ruth. “I couldn’t get her off my mind.”
Ruth came back to the shelter to adopt Momma on Oct. 23. Ruth reported her “very loyal cat” follows Ruth when she walks and curls up on Ruth’s lap when she sits. Despite Ruth’s initial concern about how Momma would get along with her beagle mix, Ruth said they “are best of buddies. It’s been wonderful having her.”
Mary Monson adopted her 7-year-old male cat, Frankie, from the shelter last summer after his owner died. The small, “incredibly soft” Maine Coon, she said, has unusual talents. “It’s absolutely bizarre how often he seems to understand English,” she said, “and he comes when I whistle.” At the end of a long day, Mary said, Frankie’s “strong front legs knead out the tension in my back.”
“Our goal is to place our shelter animals with families who want them and are ready for the responsibility,” said Edmond Animal Welfare Supervisor Jim Fish. “Although pets make wonderful gifts, they must be expected gifts, not a surprise to the recipient.”
To get acquainted with the cats and dogs available for adoption, visit the shelter at 2424 Old Timbers Drive, on the southeast corner of Interstate 35 and Covell Road, or call Edmond Animal Welfare, 216-7615. The shelter is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday.
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