The Hall County Animal Shelter is pushing its Santa Paws promotion to encourage more adoptions this holiday season. The shelter announced that it will waive animal adoption fees from Dec. 12 through Dec. 31.
There are many different types of dogs and cats at the shelter that need homes. Normally, small dogs and puppies cost $85. Large dogs and cats are usually $25 and senior pets are free.
These adoption fees cover spay/neutering operations, microchipping and the first round of shots. An outside group also funds free heartworm treatment for owners who adopt through the Hall County Animal Shelter.
Animals who are adopted during the Santa Paws event will still receive these services, but at no cost to the adopter.
Hall County Animal Shelter Program Manager Stephanie Maloch said the spay and neuter services that adopted shelter animals receive are integral to preventing stray overpopulation.
“We really tried to educate the public about how important it is to spay and neuter animals,” Maloch said. “We feel like that's part of the problem with the overpopulation of animals because the cost of it is so expensive at private vets and stuff. So we're able to do this through the Hall County Government and fix our animals and just try to educate the public about that.”
The Hall County Animal Shelter currently does not offer low-cost spay and neuter services to the general public, but Maloch said that is the shelter’s future goal.
“We try to give them resources around town and even other counties that offer reduced spay and neuters when they call into the shelter,” Maloch said. “So we try to educate them in all aspects.”
The Hall County Animal Shelter also educates potential pet owners about responsibility and what to expect. Although essentially free animals may be tempting, Maloch warned people against impulsively adopting a pet without considering several important factors.
“They need to understand that an average life [span] is 15 years for a cat or a dog,” Maloch said. “And so you've got to take that into consideration. You've got to take into consideration vet bills, boarding, just the routine maintenance of keeping a dog up – food. Or if it's a cat you got cat litter. There's also facilities around north Georgia that offer low-cost emergency service surgery pet vet and stuff like that that are low cost also that we have been able to suggest to people.”
For families who may want to surprise their child with a Christmas puppy or kitten, Maloch suggested involving the child in the adoption process. That way, every family member will be on the same page in terms of care and responsibility.
“If you're thinking about giving an animal a home for Christmas as a gift, maybe give the kids a card and say, ‘Hey, let's go to the animal shelter to pick out your new best friend.’” Maloch said. “So that way they are in on this, but they know that they're getting that gift.”
Maloch also said potential adopters should bring any pets they currently own to the shelter. This will ensure the old and new animals get along and it will also prevent post-Christmas pet returns.
According to a report from Maloch, 250 animals were adopted from the shelter between Dec. 1, 2021, and Feb. 28, 2022. From that group of adopted animals, only 16 were returned to the shelter.
“I think our front staff and adoption specialist do a phenomenal job really taking the time to get to know the adopters and what their fit is and what they're looking for, and just helping them find the right animal,” Maloch said.
Although it may be difficult to foresee the future, another thing interested adopters should consider is where they may be living. Maloch said the majority of owner-surrenders are brought to the Hall County Animal Shelter because the owner is moving.
“A lot of excuses I get from the public of owner-surrendering is that they're moving and their new landlords might not accept dogs or cats, or there's a size requirement for their lease,” Maloch said. “So that's the biggest thing I see for owner-surrenders. And then there's some other times that we've had military [members] have to surrender their animals. And that is heart-wrenching to see them have to come in and surrender their animal because they're having to be shipped overseas or something like that. And then we also see people that are irresponsible and let their animals breed. So then we have litters of animals that come in and that becomes an issue.”
Dogs and cats are not the only animals who experience abandonment or owner-surrenders. The Hall County Animal Shelter currently houses cats and dogs but in the past, the shelter has taken in guinea pigs, rabbits and more. After dogs and cats, rabbits are the third most surrendered pet in the U.S. They should not be considered a "starter pet" for young children, as they are delicate and typically prefer quiet, calm environments.
“We get them adopted out very quickly,” Maloch said. “We are open admission so we really have to take pretty much everything in. We have people surrender guinea pigs, rabbits... And then of course with animal control being a service to the county, we get livestock in. We've gotten reptiles in, goldfish, you name it – we've pretty much seen it.”
If your shelter pet does not seem lively or comfortable in your home, Maloch also reminded owners to give these animals a chance.
“It does take shelter animals a little bit longer to acclimate to the new home,” Maloch said. “So we have to educate [owners] to give them time and give them the ability to decompress when they leave this environment and go into a home environment.”
