(Bowling Green)—The Wood County Humane Society (WCHS) will celebrate national Adopt a Shelter Cat Month with a special adoption event.
From June 1 through June 30, the organization will offer reduced adoption fees for all of its feline residents. All cats aged 6 months and older will be adoptable at the special rate of only $10. All kittens will be adoptable at the “Adopt One, Take Another Home for Free” rate.
Adopt a Shelter Cat month is celebrated annually each June. The event was begun in large part in response to “kitten season,” when, according to the American Humane Association, “thousands of newborn kittens join the millions of cats already in shelters across the country.” Kitten season places increased financial, logistical, and other burdens on already overcrowded animal shelters. It also can significantly reduce the quality of life for shelter felines. Specifically, felines can, in such conditions, begin to demonstrate some uncharacteristic behavioral issues, such as marking outside of the litterbox and fighting. Staff and volunteer responsibilities also increase exponentially. Specifically, the current high population of felines translates to more cleaning, more laundry, and more dishes on a daily basis.
Spring and summer also typically are slow adoption months for shelters like the WCHS. Shelter Manager Erin McKibben hopes that the June adoption event will encourage community members to adopt in record numbers, thereby alleviating some of the stresses that can result from high feline populations in the shelter and allowing the animals to find their forever homes much more quickly.
Adoption hours at the shelter, which is located at 801 Van Camp Road, Bowling Green, are Wednesday and Thursday from 12 to 7 p.m. and Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 12 to 4 p.m. All adoptions include the spay or neuter of the cat, distemper and rabies vaccines, FIV/FeLV test, microchip, and free physical examination at local participating veterinarians. In order to receive the special adoption fee, adoptions must be completed same day. Adoptions are only completed with an approved application.
The WCHS, located in Bowling Green, Ohio, is a full-service, no-kill shelter providing care for homeless and abused pets and investigating cruelty complaints in Wood County. In addition, the organization assists Wood County residents with its Safe Haven and food assistance programs, spay/neuter transport, and educational presentations. The WCHS provides care for hundreds of animals each year—from dogs and cats, to horses, goats, and pocket pets. The non-profit organization is funded predominantly through donations from local individuals and businesses, Community Shares of Northwest Ohio (a workplace giving campaign), and fundraisers. The Wood County Commissioners help fund a Humane Agent, but the organization receives no additional funding from national humane organizations, the United Way, or the government. For more information on adopting and/or volunteering, see: http://www.woodcountyhumanesociety.org.
