Animal Allies Humane Society’s September goal is 100 cat adoptions
Animal Allies Humane Society (AAHS) of Duluth, in an effort to reduce the euthanization of healthy, adoptable cats, aims to find homes for at least 100 cats during the month of September by offering two cats for one adoption fee of $90.
“Cats are naturally social creatures,” says Linda Baumgarth-Cadotte, AAHS Program Director. “They love having a buddy, and adopters can double their pleasure by providing a loving home and saving two lives.”
In September of 2007, 44 cats were adopted, and 74 had to be euthanized. The vast majority were healthy, adoptable animals that would have made great pets. This September, Animal Allies will strive to find loving homes for at least 100 cats, and reduce the number of cats that have to be euthanized.
“There is an annual flood of cats from May to October,” says Betsy Bode, AAHS Shelter Manager. “We hope to save as many cats as possible during this adoption drive.”
All cats in the Animal Allies adoption program are spayed or neutered, microchipped, and have been examined by a veterinarian, with all age-appropriate vaccinations. To view the cats in the Animal Allies adoption program, go to www.animalallies.net, or visit the City of Duluth Animal Shelter , 2627 Courtland Street , Monday – Saturday, Noon – 4 pm.
Animal Allies Humane Society strives to ensure a lifetime of loving care for every pet by reducing overpopulation, increasing adoption, and fostering humane values. AAHS is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
By Pat Castellano There’s an older dog who wanders from Lake Avenue to Second Avenue East anywhere from Fourth to Sixth Streets. He (or she) is a shepherd/ something mix, pretty slow-moving and very friendly. I cringe every time I see her cross the street in front of me. Someone at night or who might be not watching on a turn could easily hit the dog. I wonder where it might live. I think I should follow on one of its adventures to see if I can track him or her home and let the family who must love this dog know that their dog is crossing streets and not looking both ways. I livetrapped a beautiful orange cat a few months ago. I couldn’t stand to think of him crossing Mesaba Avenue and ending up as road-kill. I’ve buried a few dogs who ended up not making it home after just such a crossing. I have never understood the thinking behind our human behaviors when it comes to caring for our animal friends. Letting a cat outside for even an hour can prove to be lifethreatening, not only to the cat, but to the songbirds or nests of baby birds and rabbits it might get into during that hour. I always get a bad feeling when I see cats hiding under cars, the ones that freeze and stare when I call a friendly “Kitty, kitty…” More often than not, those cats run. Perhaps the cat has been chased by children, had rocks thrown at it, or its feral, born outside and not social. They will have a hard life outside. The two loose cats, unspayed and unneutered in the neighborhood will provide the shelter with plenty of litters to fill its cages. Or the small cats will survive a winter, live a feral life, and have more kittens. Fight cat overpopulation: keep your cats indoors. Spay and neuter. In my 15 years in the Central Hillside, no less than 25 dogs have found their way through my yard. Many have been taken to the shelter, having no tags, no license, no method of tracking that would lead me to their home. Some of the dogs have been tagged or at least collared and there’s been some means of finding family. At least I knew at the shelter they’d have a warm bed, food, and safety out of the range of neighborhood dangers. I would hope someone would do the same for my dogs. Best practice: keep your animals close and indoors. There is a leash law. Even the best dog or cat won’t always stick right around the yard. They don’t know about traffic. People have related stories of being attacked or at least aggressively approached by loose dogs as they walk streets in the Hillside area. Dogs in some areas have gone after the humans and the pets they were walking. One man was even attacked by cats on a porch as he delivered a package to a home. Turns out there was a female in heat and the male cats considered him competition! We shouldn’t have to be afraid to walk our neighborhoods for fear an animal will be loose and harass us or our own animals and maybe harm someone. I live with a group of nice dogs. But even nice dogs who love people can be protective of their home, sidewalk, or humans. Ask the burglar who tried to enter the house last summer. The 14 pound Lhasapoo I live with is proof that size doesn’t matter. My dogs are always on their leashes or leads and I’m always out with them in the yard. One time a young boy stepped into the yard to supposedly pet my dogs. Had they bitten him, (I don’t think they would have unless provoked by some behavior) it would have been my fault. I won’t put them in that situation. I will protect them from unthinking humans. It’s important to be aware of the laws that pertain to dog bites both on and off your property. Humans can do a lot to prevent incidents from happening. It usually isn’t the animal’s fault. Foresight and good citizenship should guide us in good pet companionship. If you would like your dogs to be loose and off-leash, do so legally at the Keane Creek dog park. Be a good citizen: Be familiar with and obey the city animal ordinances. Please make the City of Duluth Animal Control personnel aware of any problems with animals in your neighborhood whether that be loose animals, neglect, abuse, barking dogs or aggressive animals. If you find a stray animal and you aren’t sure what to do with it, call. Animal Control is a city service that citizens pay for and is a unit of the Duluth Police Department. Their phone number is 723-3259. If you cannot reach anyone at that number, call 911. Don’t give up or get frustrated if you don’t get a call back. Keep calling. If you are not getting a resolution to the problem, call the Duluth Police Department. Most importantly, license your animals, give them tags, keep them close, and teach children respect for all creatures, including wildlife around us.
