Animal shelter offers $30 enticement to boost adoptions
By Katherine Houstoun CONTRIBUTING WRITER

BB is a six-month-old lab/shepherd mix. She is at the shelter with her twin sister, and both are very loving and affectionate girls.

If the kids have been pestering you for a family pet, now may be the best time to give in to them. Not only is summer vacation impending - and hopefully the kids' schedules clearing - but the Chesterfield County Animal Shelter is offering a deal for the month of May: $30 sterilization vouchers with any dog or cat adoption.

The promotion is being offered in recognition of Be Kind to Animals Month, which is observed by shelters and organizations across the country. The shelter has offered the vouchers to senior citizens ages 55 and older since last April, but this is the first time the department has extended the promotion to the general public.

"We have money in the account to do this," said Chesterfield County Animal Control Manager Alice Berry. "We can afford to expand this program, and that's exactly what we're going to do. We don't have enough of the funds to do it every day for everybody, so we're selecting promotional months to help get animals fixed."

Jack and Jill are about two months old, and are both very playful and loving.

When citizens adopt a dog or cat, they must sign a contract promising to have the animal spayed or neutered by a specific date - within 30 days for adult animals, longer for younger pets. Adoptions from the shelter cost $10, plus a $30 deposit on animals that have not yet been spayed or neutered. That $30 will be deducted from the veterinarian bill once the procedure has been completed. The additional $30 sterilization voucher can be used upfront at select veterinarian clinics in Chesterfield to help further fund the procedure.

"There are a lot of reasons [to get animals sterilized]," explained Berry. "One is overpopulation. Unless you are showing a dog or into breeding, there's no need to breed. So it prevents unwanted births. Dogs get cancer just like human beings. Getting them sterilized is one way to keep that from happening. [Neutered] males tend not to mark their territory like dogs that are intact. They just become more of a family pet."

Dogs and cats aren't the only pets available at the shelter. The shelter now has several bunnies for adoption as well.

In addition to using sterilization vouchers to promote Be Kind to Animals Month, the shelter also hopes to teach county pet owners responsible pet care like observing leash laws, making sure their animal companions have proper identification and keeping vaccinations up to date.

The animal shelter, located at 9300 Public Works Rd., currently has about 120 animals under its roof, three-fourths of which are available for adoption. With a constantly evolving roster, the shelter offers something for everyone.

"We have puppies, young adults, senior dogs," said Berry. "It's a mixture of everything. Anything that you're looking for, if you shop here, sooner or later you're going to find the perfect match."

The animal shelter is open Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.

For more information on adoptions, see the box at the bottom of this page.

Baby is a pastel calico, and she is a love bug. She has three sisters who range from orange to tortoiseshell in color.