Some say the bond between human and pet is everlasting. In a world piled high with financial responsibilities, animals are becoming increasingly overlooked in the grand scheme of things. Relocation, debt, or long hours at work make people question their ability to take care of their feline and canine companions.
The Connecticut Humane Society has three different adoption centers around the state in Newington, Waterford, and Westport that take in animals that are of any size, shape or form. Giving up a pet can be a difficult task, but the humane society welcomes pets with open arms.
“Owners come in telling us they can no longer care for their pet and we take them in and find them a new home,” said the Society’s Public Relations Director Alicia Wright.
For prospective new pet owners, the humane society should be the first pit-stop. With an annual adoption rate of 90 percent out of 9,500 pets, it is almost certain that upon a visit, one will inevitably fall in love with one of the sweet, adoring creatures the society houses.
These unique, one-of-a-kind animals need extra love and care for what they’ve lived through; each has a separate story, whether it be a relocation, behavior, or medical problem. After an individual walks in and picks their new friend, the staff of the CHS has an interview with them to see if they are capable of handling the pet.
“We look to make a match be- tween the owner and the pet so we can avoid the pet becoming homeless a second time,” said Wright. “One of the main things we look for is if the person understands the basic financial responsibilities and what kind of experience they have with animals.”
Wright made a strong point of calling these relocations “forever homes,” because that is the main emphasis; it would be heartbreaking for the animal to end up back at the society.
The pets at the three facilities come from all over the state of Connecticut, and some picked up from animal control. CHS has also been working with a few shelters down South, where there is a very high rate of euthanasia.
An overwhelming pet overpop- ulation problem exists in the southern states. “It is just insurmountable,” said Wright, who spoke of the lack of access to veterinary care. “It is more difficult for people to practice spay/ neuter.” Shelters are faced with growing numbers of animals trying to find homes, and in worst case scenarios, have to euthanize healthy, adoptable pets.
“We started to work with them to expand our outreach services, have more animals available for Connecticut residents, and above all, place more animals for adoption,” said Wright. The Connecticut Humane Society is also paying certain veterinarians down South full salaries to educate them on how to spay and neuter in hopes of decreasing the problem.
Endless success stories pile into the humane society and are chronicled in books available to owners upon their visits to read and be inspired from.
One of the more recent success stories involves an older woman crippled with the passing of her pet and with her own medical problems, which were causing her to become too much of a homebody.
She visited one of the locations every day in hopes of finding a new friend. “Our staff continued to work with her, and one day, it just happened,” Wright said. “She came in, the perfect pet was there, and she adopted it.”
Since then, Wright told of how the pet helped the woman become more involved in her community. “We gained an amazing friend,” said Wright. “She gained a new pet and a renewed lease on life.”
The big question on most perspective owners’ minds might be, how much are adoptions? Puppies ($110) are the most expensive, while kittens are $100, adult dogs are $80, adult cats are $70, and small animals are $30. The cost includes spay/neuter, vaccinations, and if the animal came in with health conditions, they are stabilized or cured.
Now with that said, you may be planning on bringing home a new addition to your home, whether you’re a single owner, or a young couple. Wright has advice for young adults, especially if they’re just graduating, buying a new home, or committing themselves to a new job. “Think about time management,” she said. “If you are going to be out of the house for 12 plus hours, you may want to consider an easily manageable pet rather than a dog or cat.”
She urges people to do their research on realistic costs, especially when one may be juggling student loans and rent on a new job’s salary. “Having a pet as a member of the family, it is a huge commitment. Do your research and are you’re more likely to be happy with your end result,” said Wright.
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