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Pet adoptions need commitment
  
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By TANA ROSS
What Kansas author Greg Kincaid writes about in “A Dog Named Christmas,” — the adoption of a Yuletide season dog — is something a lot of people think about and some may even act on. But staff and volunteers at the Montgomery County Animal Shelter strongly advise against making hasty decisions when it comes to animal adoptions.
“You should never give a pet as a ‘gift’ unless the person is aware of it ahead of time,” Dr. Kelley Miller DVM of Windvale Vet Hospital and a regular at the MCAS said. “A pet is a long-term commitment and not a spur of the moment decision.”
When it comes to offering a pet as a Christmas surprise, feelings from the experts are even stronger.
“I don’t think adopting a dog or any other pet should be a surprise,” MCAS Rescue Coordinator Tina Hochmann said. “The whole family should be involved. You have to talk about it, determine the responsibilities involved and figure out who is going to do them.”
But the one thing MCAS professionals and volunteers agree on, is where to adopt — the local shelter. Just like the family in his book, Kincaid and his wife were recently moved to adopt a dog. However, it did not take long for the couple to discover they had very differing ideas on what kind of dog they should have and in fact, their differences launched the “Dog Wars” on Kinkaid’s blog (See www.adognamed christmas.com).
Nicola Ostlund, a volunteer with MCAS, said finding a good adoption candidate it is a matter of a match.
“Look for a dog that has a personality that is going to work with your family,” Ostlund advises. “If you like to do things outdoors, you don’t want a dog that would rather be on the couch inside.”
To find that perfect match, MCAS offers its Foster-Care-to-Adopt program. For no fee anyone interested in adopting a cat or dog may take a candidate home for several days and see if it is a fit.
“It is like trying on shoes,” Ostlund said. “You have to walk around a while to see if they are comfortable.”
Acting on the shelter’s program, Philip and Courtney Vaccaro took home their third choice in an effort to find a companion for their 7-year-old collie, Scarlett.
“His temperament seems perfect. I hope our Scarlett likes him,” Courtney Vaccaro said. “And, we want to make sure ours is the right home for him as well. That is equally important.”
No stranger to dog adoptions, Courtney Vaccaro said when she was young her Chicago-based family adopted four pets over the years. So when it came time to consider another dog, she did not hesitate to visit the shelter.
More than 2,000 animals a month are housed in the shelter on Highway 242 near Conroe. Families like the Vaccaros along with volunteer foster homes and shelter volunteers ensure that every animal possible makes it into the MCAS adoption program. MCAS Field Supervisor Joe Guidry said these efforts along with rescue groups are helping the shelter greatly reduce its number of animals put to sleep.
“Our goal is to be a no-kill shelter,” he said.
In the past year MCAS has gone from an 80 percent euthanasia rate to 20 percent.
“If we had more foster care homes it would help buy the time needed to find ‘forever homes’ for more of them,” Ostlund said.
Pet adoption and holiday tips
Dr. Kelley Miller of Windvale Vet Hospital in Conroe and the Montgomery County Animal Shelter offer the following tips for animal adoption and making you pet comfortable during the holidays:
Consider time and costs before adoption. Animals require time for care and play. Dog food for one year alone can cost as much as $300, according to a web report by PetSmart. (Note: MCAS offers low-cost vaccinations, spay and neuter fees.)
Cost of year-round heart worm prevention. MCAS recommends animals in Texas where mosquitos are prevalent be placed on 12-month heartworm medication.
Consider special-needs pets, if willing to the lifelong care of that pet.
Realize a puppy or kitten will grow into its adult-sized version.
Consider all members of the family including any children that may share the home with a pet. A young dog is a good option for younger children so they can grow up together.
During the holidays reduce a pet’s stress by minimizing the time your dog or cat spends with guests.
Make sure pets are not the recipients of table scraps guests may feed them which can lead to gastrointestinal problems.
Pet-proof the house to prevent accidental ingestions
Keep dogs kenneled if they cannot be monitored appropriately.
For more information about he Montgomery County Animal Shelter visit www.montgomerycountypets.com.
“You should never give a pet as a ‘gift’ unless the person is aware of it ahead of time,” Dr. Kelley Miller DVM of Windvale Vet Hospital and a regular at the MCAS said. “A pet is a long-term commitment and not a spur of the moment decision.”
When it comes to offering a pet as a Christmas surprise, feelings from the experts are even stronger.
“I don’t think adopting a dog or any other pet should be a surprise,” MCAS Rescue Coordinator Tina Hochmann said. “The whole family should be involved. You have to talk about it, determine the responsibilities involved and figure out who is going to do them.”
But the one thing MCAS professionals and volunteers agree on, is where to adopt — the local shelter. Just like the family in his book, Kincaid and his wife were recently moved to adopt a dog. However, it did not take long for the couple to discover they had very differing ideas on what kind of dog they should have and in fact, their differences launched the “Dog Wars” on Kinkaid’s blog (See www.adognamed christmas.com).
Nicola Ostlund, a volunteer with MCAS, said finding a good adoption candidate it is a matter of a match.
“Look for a dog that has a personality that is going to work with your family,” Ostlund advises. “If you like to do things outdoors, you don’t want a dog that would rather be on the couch inside.”
To find that perfect match, MCAS offers its Foster-Care-to-Adopt program. For no fee anyone interested in adopting a cat or dog may take a candidate home for several days and see if it is a fit.
“It is like trying on shoes,” Ostlund said. “You have to walk around a while to see if they are comfortable.”
Acting on the shelter’s program, Philip and Courtney Vaccaro took home their third choice in an effort to find a companion for their 7-year-old collie, Scarlett.
“His temperament seems perfect. I hope our Scarlett likes him,” Courtney Vaccaro said. “And, we want to make sure ours is the right home for him as well. That is equally important.”
No stranger to dog adoptions, Courtney Vaccaro said when she was young her Chicago-based family adopted four pets over the years. So when it came time to consider another dog, she did not hesitate to visit the shelter.
More than 2,000 animals a month are housed in the shelter on Highway 242 near Conroe. Families like the Vaccaros along with volunteer foster homes and shelter volunteers ensure that every animal possible makes it into the MCAS adoption program. MCAS Field Supervisor Joe Guidry said these efforts along with rescue groups are helping the shelter greatly reduce its number of animals put to sleep.
“Our goal is to be a no-kill shelter,” he said.
In the past year MCAS has gone from an 80 percent euthanasia rate to 20 percent.
“If we had more foster care homes it would help buy the time needed to find ‘forever homes’ for more of them,” Ostlund said.
Pet adoption and holiday tips
Dr. Kelley Miller of Windvale Vet Hospital in Conroe and the Montgomery County Animal Shelter offer the following tips for animal adoption and making you pet comfortable during the holidays:
Consider time and costs before adoption. Animals require time for care and play. Dog food for one year alone can cost as much as $300, according to a web report by PetSmart. (Note: MCAS offers low-cost vaccinations, spay and neuter fees.)
Cost of year-round heart worm prevention. MCAS recommends animals in Texas where mosquitos are prevalent be placed on 12-month heartworm medication.
Consider special-needs pets, if willing to the lifelong care of that pet.
Realize a puppy or kitten will grow into its adult-sized version.
Consider all members of the family including any children that may share the home with a pet. A young dog is a good option for younger children so they can grow up together.
During the holidays reduce a pet’s stress by minimizing the time your dog or cat spends with guests.
Make sure pets are not the recipients of table scraps guests may feed them which can lead to gastrointestinal problems.
Pet-proof the house to prevent accidental ingestions
Keep dogs kenneled if they cannot be monitored appropriately.
For more information about he Montgomery County Animal Shelter visit www.montgomerycountypets.com.
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