If you’re ready to go from binging cute animal gifs to adopting your own furry pal, start perusing your local shelter. The Lehigh County Humane Society in Allentown takes in around 2,000 stray and abandoned animals each year that just need a stable, loving family to flourish. Shelter Manager Teisha Jones has advice on finding the right rescue and orchestrating a painless transition from safe harbor to forever home.
Know What You’re Looking For
At any given time, the Humane Society may have dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, turtles, rats, geckos—maybe even a potbellied pig and some ducks. Evaluate your lifestyle and your situation to determine what’s a realistic companion to take on. If you’re not home much or you’re particularly sedentary, cats and smaller friends are a good choice. If you want a buddy to tear up miles of hiking trail with you, look to the doggos, some of which need hours of exercise or their pent-up energy can turn into behavioral issues.
Budget for Your New Buddy
“Owning a pet can be expensive,” says Jones. “Adopters should plan to spend at least $600 per year on food, supplies and veterinary care. In the first year, most new pet owners find that they spend over $1,000.”
Part of that is the adoption fee, which at LCHS ranges from under $50 for small animals to $140 for cats and $240 for most types of dogs. It’s a small price to pay knowing that all animals leave the shelter spayed, neutered, microchipped, vaccinated, flea treated and dewormed.
The future isn’t always certain, but if you’re pretty sure you can cover regular veterinary care, food, catnip/treats and new toys for the next 10 to 15 years for dogs and up to 20 for cats, you’re good to go.
Get Acquainted
Falling in love at first sight with a massive Husky/German Shepherd mix when you live in a studio apartment may not work out, but in the case of less explicitly active breeds, animals are individuals, and some dogs are happiest glued to your couch. Staff at the shelter can tell you what they know about the personality of each cat and pup.
When you find an animal you like, bring in other members of the household to visit them, too, especially another dog if you have one. “We encourage potential adopters to visit multiple times,” says Jones, “and bring toys or blankets with your scent on them to leave with the pet.”
A Note on Pit Bulls
You’ll notice that the overwhelming majority of shelter dogs are variations of the much-maligned, abused and overbred pit bull, which has the sad distinction of being number one in euthanizations.
Compared with the $240 fee for adopting any other dog, the fee for a pit bull at LCHS is $150, in part to start a conversation with potential adopters. “A dog is what you put into it,” Jones says. “Pit bulls can be very loyal, protective, playful and more tolerant with kids than small dogs like the Chihuahua or the Yorkie.”
All we’re saying is give these lovably ogreish misfits a chance.
Prepare Your Home
Even a positive transition can cause an animal stress. Start them in a small room (the kitchen works best for accident cleanup) and slowly increase their territory. Walk your new dog around the house on a leash, and if there’s another animal to adapt to, let them meet through closed doors and by alternating time in a crate so they don’t get overwhelmed.
Make things easy on everyone by dog- or cat-proofing the home, keeping electrical cords, plants and chewable rugs out of reach. With animal beds at the ready, pets are more likely to stay off the furniture, and with scratching posts poised, your feline friend has at least a chance to take pity on your furniture and spare it the claw.
Train from Square One
“Shelter pets often come from situations where they were abused, neglected or never trained,” says Jones. “A dog that hasn’t received training doesn’t necessarily know what is a ‘right’ or a ‘wrong’ behavior.”
Take time with everyone in the household to establish a vocabulary list you’ll all use consistently to give your dog directions. Dogs don’t mind being renamed, and working on getting a new name to stick is a great way to spend time giving positive reinforcement early on.
Over the first few weeks, in the safety of a patient home, with a dependable schedule of feeding and walks, your pet will come to understand what is expected and what to expect, and his or her personality will show more and more. Jones expresses the gratitude that rescues can only articulate through wet kisses and contented purrs: “By adopting, you’re truly saving a life. You’ll be rewarded with years of love!”
Teisha Jones, Shelter Manager at Lehigh County Humane Society
The Expert:
Teisha Jones
Shelter Manager, Lehigh County Humane Society
640 Dixon St., Allentown | 610.797.1205 | thelehighcountyhumanesociety.org
