Now’s the Perfect Time to Adopt a Pet

IFYOU’RE FEELING CAGED-IN AND LONELY UNDER TODAY’S STAY-AT-HOME ORDERS,LOCAL ANIMAL SHELTERS SAY YOU DON’T HAVE TO PRACTICE SOCIALDISTANCING WITH A PET, AND PLENTY OF ADOPTABLE COMPANION ANIMALSSTILL NEED LOVE AND A FUR-EVER HOME.

THANKSFOR WATCHING THE LOCAL NEWS NETWORK, BROUGHT TO YOU BY DURANGOELECTRIC COMPANY AND THE NICE ELECTRIC COMPANY OF CORTEZ. I’M WENDYGRAHAM SETTLE.

WHEN HAYLEYKWASNIEWSKI’S JOB AS AN AMERICORPS VISTA VOLUNTEER AT THE MONTEZUMASCHOOL-TO-FARM PROJECT WAS FORCED TO STAY AT HOME BECAUSE OF THECORONA VIRUS, SHE KNEW IT WAS THE RIGHT TIME TO “GET A FUR BABY”SINCE SHE WOULD BE AROUND TO HELP THE ANIMALADJUST TO A NEW PLACE AND ROUTINE.

KWASNIEWSKI RECENTLYADOPTED HER FUR-EVER FRIEND, ADI, AT THE FARMINGTON REGIONAL ANIMALSHELTER AND SAID ADI HAS PERKED UP HER SPIRITS DURING HER ISOLATION.

LUCKILYDURING THESE PHYSICALLY AND SOCIALLY ISOLATED TIMES, “6- FOOTDISTANCING” DOESN’T APPLY TO OUR FURRY FRIENDS. WHILE SOUTHWESTCOLORADO ANIMAL SERVICES ARE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC, THE LA PLATACOUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY AND THE CORTEZ ANIMAL SHELTER WANT YOU TO KNOWTHEY *ARE* OPEN AND PROCESSING ADOPTIONS, ACCEPTING STRAYS,PET-SURRENDERS, AND FOSTERING.

EMILY PHILLIPS,MARKETING & DEVELOPMENT MANAGER AT THE LA PLATA COUNTY HUMANESOCIETY, SAYS ADOPTIONS HAVE DECLINED BECAUSE OF THE GOVERNOR’SSTAY-AT-HOME AND SOCIAL DISTANCING ORDERS, BUT NOW IS AN IDEAL TIMETO BRING HOME A NEW PET.
YEAH, THIS ISPROBABLY A GOOD TIME FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT A PET WHO MAYBE WERE TOOBUSY IN THEIR LIFESTYLE BEFORE. SO, YOU KNOW, WE THINK THIS IS A GOODTIME. IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN GETTING, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER CAT ORANOTHER DOG BECAUSE YOU ARE A HOME NOW YOU, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TOADOPT THAT PUPPY, YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE THAT TIME TO HELP PROPERLYTRAIN THE PUPPY AND UM, YOU KNOW, GET THAT ANIMAL USED TO YOUR HOME,THAN MAYBE ADOPTING WHEN THEY’RE, YOU KNOW, WORKING FULL TIME ANDTHEN LIKE WEEKENDS. SO I THINK THERE, YOU KNOW, THERE’S A PLUS SIDETO THAT. YOU’LL HAVE MORE TIME WITH THE ANIMALS RIGHT NOW. THEY’LL BEABLE TO GET COMFORTABLE WITH YOU AND, YOU KNOW, ENJOY THEIR NEWLIVES.

THESHELTER IS CLOSED TO VISITORS, BUT YOU CAN STILL MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TOADOPT AN ANIMAL ONLINE.

SO WHAT WE WANT THE, YOUKNOW, THE PUBLIC TO DO IS GO ON OUR WEBSITE, WHICH IS LPC HUMANESOCIETY.ORG. YOU’RE GOING TO GO VIEW THE ADOPTABLE ANIMALS ON OURADOPTIVE PET PAGE. YOU SEE AN ANIMAL THAT YOU’RE INTERESTED IN ANDYOU WANT TO LEARN MORE. YOU CAN ALWAYS CALL THE SHELTER AND FIND OUTMORE ABOUT THAT ANIMAL, THEIR, THEIR TEMPERAMENT, THEIR BEHAVIOR. IFYOU’RE WANTING TO ADOPT, WE HAVE OUR APPLICATION ONLINE, YOU WOULDDOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION AND YOU WOULD EMAIL IT INTO OUR CLIENTSERVICES AND THEY WOULD PROCESS THE APPLICATION, AND THEY WOULDREVIEW THE APPLICATION. ONCE THE APPLICATION IS, THEN WE WOULD CALLYOU. WE WOULD SET UP AN APPOINTMENT TIME THEY’RE HAVING APPOINTMENTTIMES, YOU KNOW, SETTING SPECIFIC APPOINTMENTS THROUGHOUT THE DAY. WEWOULD BRING YOU IN IF YOU HAD ANOTHER DOG. OBVIOUSLY WE REQUIRE AMEET AND GREET. SO WE PRETTY MUCH DO THE ADOPTION TO MEET AND GREETOUTSIDE FOR YOU. AND THEN WE WOULD ADOPT THE ANIMAL THAT DAY. SO IT’SJUST, YOU KNOW, WE WANT YOU TO VIEW THE ANIMAL, AND SEND US YOURAPPLICATION AND THEN WE WILL SET AN APPOINTMENT TIME FOR, FOR THEADOPTERS TO COME IN.

AREASHELTERS ALSO ARE GETTING READY FOR THESEASONAL INFLUX OF KITTENS AND PUPPIES THAT BEGINS IN SPRINGS ANDLASTS UNTIL FALL. AND THEY CAN USE YOURHELP.

WITH THE ONSET OFKITTENS COMING IN. WE WILL NEED KITTEN MILK REPLACER WE ALWAYS NEED ALOT OF THAT. UM, KITTEN TOYS, UM, LITTER, UM, MOSTLY FOOD. UM, AROUNDFIRST WEEK OF MAY WE’RE ALSO GOING TO HOLD A BABY SHOWER AND THAT’SREALLY GOING TO BE GEARED TOWARDS THE FOSTER, UM, PROGRAM FOR THESTUFF THAT WE’D NEED TO SET UP SO THAT WE CAN SEND OUT WITH ALL OFOUR FOSTERS TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR THEM.

ANDSHELTERS ALWAYS NEED FOSTER FAMILIES TO TAKE CARE OF ANIMALS THISTIME OF YEAR. IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN PROVIDING A TEMPORARY HOME FORA MONTEZUMA COUNTY PUPPY OR KITTEN, CONTACT CORTEZ ANIMAL SHELTERKENNEL SUPERVISER JENNIFER CROUSE.  

DURANGOAREA RESIDENTS WHO WANT TO FOSTER A PET MAY APPLY ONLINE WITH THE LAPLATA COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY. THE SHELTER PROVIDES FOSTER FAMILIESWITH EVERYTHING THEY NEED, INCLUDING FOOD, TOYS, MILK BOTTLES, ANDEXERCISE PENS.

BEPATIENT. SHELTER EMPLOYEES MAY TAKE A LITTLE LONGER THAN USUAL TORESPOND BECAUSE OF RECENT STAFF CUTS .

BOTHMONTEZUMA AND LA PLATA COUNTY SHELTERS CONTINUE TO ACCEPT STRAYS, BUTCALL BEFORE DROPPING OFF AN ANIMAL TO MAINTAIN SAFE SOCIALDISTRANCING.

WE HAVE IT SET UP THAT WE WOULD COMEAND GET THOSE KITTENS FROM YOUR VEHICLE FOR YOU. YOU WOULDN’T EVENHAVE TO COME IN. WE’RE NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC RIGHT NOW, SO, YOUKNOW, THEY COULD CALL, WE COULD SET UP A TIME FOR THEM TO COME. WEHAVE MASKS AND GLOVES AND WE’RE DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TOFOLLOW EVERY GUIDELINE POSSIBLE.  AND WE JUST, I JUST HOPE THATPEOPLE, BECAUSE OF THE COVID-19 THAT THEY AREN’T TURNING THOSEKITTENS OVER AND MOMS BECAUSE CHANCES ARE THEY’LL GET PREGNANT AGAINVERY SOON AND HAVE MORE LITTERS AND THEN THE POPULATION JUST GROWS.

FOR MOREINFORMATION:

IN MONTEZUMA GO TOPETANGO.COM/CORTEZANIMALSHELTER TO VIEW ADOPTABLE ANIMALS AND MAKEDONATIONS

IN DURANGO GO TOLPCHUMANESOCIETY.ORG TO VIEW ADOPTABLE ANIMALS, AND FIND THE DONATIONWISH LIST

IN FARMINGTON,GO TO FMTN.ORG

THANKS FOR WATCHINGTHE LOCAL NEWS NETWORK, CREATED LOCALLY, DELIVERED LOCALLY ANDSUPPORTED BY LOCAL BUSINESSES. I’M WENDY GRAHAM SETTLE

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