The sad story of Bella the golden retriever touched the hearts
of many this January.
Adopted from the Silicon Valley Humane Society, Bella found
herself caught in a custody battle between her original owners and
her adoptive family.
The sad story of Bella the golden retriever touched the hearts of many this January.
Adopted from the Silicon Valley Humane Society, Bella found herself caught in a custody battle between her original owners and her adoptive family.
Although the headline-causing mix-up was unfortunate and instigated a revised adoption policy for the shelter, the story highlighted the critical role The Humane Society and private rescue agencies play in giving lost or abandoned pets a caring home.
A multitude of private rescue agencies in Santa Clara and San Benito counties also take in and adopt out animals, often as a labor of love. And unlike animal control or government-funded shelters, rescue groups do not euthanize. They take in the animals that would otherwise be put down because of limited space in shelters.
“It’s called the non-lethal method of animal control, and that’s what we advocate,” said Rosi Mirko, director and founder of Town Cats, a feline adoption center in Morgan Hill. “It’s hard for animal control agencies … they have to take all the animals in. But with our aggressive adoption – marketing them and just getting them out there – hopefully it will help, so that they don’t have to euthanize as many.”
Groups like Town Cats, a nonprofit, no-kill organization, collect abandoned or stray animals from county shelters and take in “surrendered” animals, or those that owners can no longer care for.
The agencies either keep the animals in their own shelter or temporarily place them in foster homes until they can be adopted. Town Cats places about 900 cats each year, Mirko said.
On any given weekend, the Petco stores in Gilroy and Morgan Hill host adoption fairs with pets from a variety of groups.
Pet Friends, based in Hollister, has a shelter open several days each week and is at the Gilroy Petco one weekend each month.
“Please adopt a pet,” said Gayle Jackson, community outreach coordinator and board president for Pet Friends. “There’s just so many animals between all the county and city-funded shelters, and private shelters like ourselves, and rescue agencies.”
“These poor things, it’s kind of like they’re orphans,” she said. “It just doesn’t make sense to buy an animal and pay hundreds of dollars for it.”
Nearly every animal that groups like Pet Friends have available for adoption is spayed or neutered, has current vaccinations and is tested for illnesses like feline AIDS virus or leukemia.
“You’re getting a pet that’s healthy as opposed to … going somewhere where you’re buying a pet from somebody and you’ve got to go through the shots, and you’ve got to get them spayed and neutered,” Jackson said.
Second Chance Animal Rescue in San Juan Bautista has rescued 622 dogs and cats from shelters since Debi Kent and Jessica Gavlick founded the organization in 1998. Second Chance also has an adoption center at Our Pet Shop in Gilroy.
Perhaps the most well-known rescue group in the Morgan Hill and Gilroy area, Friends of San Martin Animal Shelter, focuses specifically on adopting out animals brought into the shelter, which serves unincorporated areas of Santa Clara County.
Thanks to the Friends’ efforts, the shelter has an euthanization rate far below the national average, said Phillip Jewitt, program manager and president of the group.
“This year, we’re on track to adopt out about 54 percent of our cats and about 44 to 45 percent of our dogs,” Jewitt said. “The national average is 25 percent (for cats and dogs).”
The nonprofit organization adopts out animals being held in the San Martin shelter, including strays and abandoned pets, or in foster care homes.
The shelter, like other rescue groups, is already in the midst of “kitty season,” which started this month and lasts until the end of October each year.
A multitude of rescue groups deal with specific dog breeds and operate across the country.
The local branch of the Bay Area Siberian Husky Club is another group that brings animals to Petco adoption fairs. The specialized groups, such as Bay Area Boxer, Bay Area German Shepherd, Greyhound Friends for Life, and Dalmatian Club of Northern California, can help potential pet owners decide if that particular breed is right for them.
Nonprofit animal rescue groups depend on fund-raisers, grants and donations to pay for supplies and veterinarian’s bills. Most caregivers work on a volunteer basis and additional volunteers or foster homes are always needed. Most rescue groups have Web sites with information on how to donate or volunteer.
For new pet owners who have recently adopted an animal, Petco stores offer a free adoption booklet that includes coupons for pet supplies. The booklet is offered by some adoption agencies or can be obtained from the store by a new owner. Also, many vets offer a free first vet visit for an adopted pet.
For tips on how to keep your pet safe at home, or how to quickly find a lost pet, visit Hollister Animal Control’s Web site at www.hollinet.com/~shelter.
