Shelter Dogs of the Week

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Today we are showcasing two amazing residents of the MCAS. These pooches were both surrendered by their owner due to allergies and they’re out-of-sorts, wanting desperately to have forever homes of their own.

First up is Sadie. This gorgeous Australian shepherd mix girl is approximately 4 years old. She has one blue eye and the other brown and a sleek fur coat with a distinct brindle color. Sadie is the quintessential family dog. She’s always in a great mood and loves to go for walks on the leash. She enjoys the company of children and playing with her squeaky toys, and of course, lots of belly rubs.

Emma is our second featured dog this week. This sweet lady is incredibly beautiful and between 8 and 10 months old. She’s a shepherd/collie mix, making her extremely smart and trainable. Emma wants to learn and please. Volunteers say she has a sweet temperament and would fit in just as well with an active family as a more relaxed one. Emma is versatile and cheerful.

Sadie and Emma are not spayed and are required to have their surgeries soon after adoption. Let’s get these two beauties out of concrete kennels and onto soft couches.

The MCAS has experienced a high rate of returns after adoption, which is not a unique situation. Adopters don’t always prepare properly for their new pet and are overwhelmed. And while shelter dogs make the best pets, as with any new addition, there’s a learning curve and some adjustments may need to be made in order for an adoption to be a success.

Shelter dogs usually live in cramped conditions without much human interaction for sometimes long periods of time. Many are brought into the shelter as strays who are malnourished and have been abused by people. These dogs are not socialized or trained during their shelter stay and require understanding and patience to settle into a new life with a loving family.

The decision to surrender a newly adopted pet is not easy and sometimes it can’t be avoided. It’s stressful for the adopters and shelter staff alike. But with a little hard work and perseverance, there are ways to prevent adoption returns.

First, the question must be asked, why are these animals being returned? The list is long, but the main reason is behavioral issues. Sometimes there’s incompatibility with other household pets or potty accidents. It might be separation anxiety, digging, chewing, leash aggression or too much energy. Sometimes dogs are returned because of sudden financial issues, a decline in health or a change in the living arrangements of the adopter.

While certain personal obstacles might not be overcome, many behavioral issues certainly are fixable through training, preparation and support.

The most important solution to a lot of problems is having the dog spayed or neutered as soon as possible. Many animal shelters in Kentucky do not adopt an unaltered pet out of the shelter. In a perfect world, the surgery would be performed before the pet leaves the shelter, but unfortunately, the MCAS does not perform the task and even though potential adopters sign a form stating they will alter the animal, they don’t always follow through with it.

Studies show dogs that are spayed or neutered make better pets. They aren’t affected by hormones and they tend to get along better with other animals. Spaying or neutering can calm an animal, reduce aggressiveness and curb many training issues.

It also helps to have a fenced area for your new pet to run, play and get some of their energy out during the day. Younger dogs need regular exercise and because of their owners’ work schedules and busy lives, they might not get enough walks and playtime. When that happens, a usually well-behaved dog might resort to chewing the furniture, bedding or anything else they can sink their teeth into.

Dog crates can be very useful for short-term restriction and having enough chew toys and play items are a must.

Feeding your new dog quality food on a routine schedule can alleviate anxiety, especially if that dog came into the shelter in poor condition.

Feeding a new addition with your established pet is never a good idea. Some aggression matters can be resolved simply by giving each of your dogs their own private dining space.

Trainers are willing to help too. A few classes or some counseling with a professional might do the trick. Or simply calling shelter staff and asking questions could provide the answers needed to work through a problem.

The best way to guarantee that your adoption is a success is by understanding it’s sometimes a process to settle a new pet into your home. Once you navigate a few bumps in the road, you’ll have a best friend for life.

Why adopt a pet? Because shelters are packed with friendly, healthy animals that come in a variety of breeds, ages and personalities to suit anyone’s tastes. Adopting a pet from a shelter or rescue group is an extremely rewarding and feel-good experience. Most shelters are at full capacity and by adopting, you open up space for another dog who might desperately need it.

There are several local shelters in the area that are brimming with playful pets for your family and you may be surprised at the wide variety of healthy, attractive and fun-loving pets to choose from.

You’re invited to stop by a local animal shelter—or all of them—to find the newest addition to your family.

For your meet and greet with some of the MCAS’s fabulous dogs, head over to 301 River Drive in Maysville. Shelter hours are noon to 4 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays and until 6 p.m. on Fridays. The facility is open 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. Arrangements can be made for special visitation. The shelter’s phone number is 606-564-6067. You can also contact shelter staff at [email protected] for inquiries.

The Facebook page, Friends of the Mason County Animal Shelter, provides information and pictures of Mason County Animal Shelter animals that are available for adoption. Follow their page for updates and to show your support for the movement. The Friends have also set up Amazon, Chewy and Walmart gift registries on their page for the community to donate much-needed items to help foster families care for their canine and feline charges.

Volunteers of the Friends of the Mason County Animal Shelter are currently fostering a wide assortment of kittens and cats of all ages, colors and personalities that are in desperate need of good homes. Please reach out to volunteers on the Friends’ Facebook page to inquire about adoptable felines.

If you can’t adopt, consider donating to spay/neuter a Mason County Shelter dog at www.tinyurl.com/hsbt-give. Just make a notation on your donation for it to go towards a shelter dog or you can direct your donation to foster dogs and cats.

The Humane Society of Buffalo Trace offers $50 vouchers to assist with the cost of spaying/neutering Mason County pets. You can access their online application at www.bit.ly/hsbt-snap. If you have any questions, you can visit HSBT’s Facebook page.

There’s a bunch of sweet dogs to pick from at the Bracken County Animal Shelter. Please call the shelter at 606-735-3475 for all inquiries or you can reach Robbin Snapp by emailing [email protected] The shelter is located at 188 Hamilton Road in Brooksville. You can follow shelter news and check out adoptable dogs on the Bracken County Animal Shelter Facebook page.

The BCAS has an Amazon Wishlist posted on their Facebook page. They also take monetary donations thru the shelter PayPal account at [email protected]

You’ll find the perfect pet at the Lewis County Animal Shelter. Hours are 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., Monday through Friday, and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. The shelter is located at 149 County Drive in Vanceburg. You can email the facility at [email protected] or call 606-796-3917.

In Robertson County, contact Aletha Thomas, the animal control Officer at the Robertson County Animal Shelter on Facebook for information about dogs available for adoption.

The best way to stop the flood of unwanted pets into your local animal shelters is to spay or neuter your pets. https://fixfinder.org is a place to find low-cost spay/neuter options around the area.



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