A gentleman came into the store yesterday, and I am afraid that I gave him the wrong information. He suggested we should write a grant requesting funding from PETA, and I said that I did not think they would fund us because we are not a "no kill" facility. He got a shocked look on his face, and I tried to explain, but I think he was too stunned to listen. So, I thought I would put it all down here, because what we do is
remarkable.
WE SAVE ALL ADOPTABLE CATS AND DOGS FROM EUTHANASIA IN MODOC COUNTY. That is job #1 with us. We are here in this County to help the community re-home cats and to pull all the adoptable dogs from the City and County Shelters, make sure their wounds are treated, get them all their shots, get them spayed or neutered, teach them a few good habits to be sure they are even more lovable, and then we either find them good homes or move them on to other "No Kill" facilities that can.
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE "NO KILL". There is that term again - the one I used incorrectly with our store visitor. The fact is that HPHS
is a "No Kill" facility. That is, we
DO NOT euthanize animals as a means of population control or to make room for other animals (as so many public shelters are forced to do for various reasons). Instead we only euthanize animals who are suffering and cannot be cured, or who
have behavioral issues that make them un-adoptable that cannot be correct with training (like being human or dog aggressive).
BECAUSE WE ARE "NO KILL", MODOC COUNTY IS "NO KILL". That is something we can all be proud of! We are the only organization that is set up specifically to do help our local shelters. Without our help, all the animals that end up in our City and County shelters would be euthanized because neither the City nor the County has the staff to run an adoption center. In fact, they don't take in cats at all, only dogs. When they are called to pick up a dog, they put them in a kennel to keep them safe and secure, then they feed them and clean up after them for 5 days. That is it. They have no staff to exercise or train the dog. When five days are up, they call us. If we can't take the dog, it is euthanized.
ADOPTION TAKES TIME, MONEY AND THE PROPER FACILITIES. Make no mistake, this is not a criticism of our local shelters. We believe they are doing the best they can with what they have. Adoption programs take time, money, dedicated staff, and the proper facilities. It is not a matter of pointing interested adopters at a kennel and taking their money. HPHS tracks every animal's medical and behavioral history, takes them to and from the vet, pays for all medical treatment, takes photos of them, writes bios and then advertises them all over. We also train them, take them to adoption events, socialize and exercise them, interview interested adopters, confirm potential adopters have the right home environment and facilities for them, and, of course, feed and clean up after them until they are in their new home.
The average time a dog or cat stays with us is 30 days. Neither the City nor the County can dedicate that much time for each and every animal they take into their facility. It takes volunteers! However, even volunteers need resources. We need money for gas, kennels and crates, dog and cat food, cat litter, leashes and collars, toys and cat scratching trees, heating and cooling for the indoor kennel areas, power washers, disinfectant and stall mats for kennels so they can be kept clean and free of Parvo and other pathogens, and access to exercise yards.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO "SAVE THEM ALL"? It takes YOU. Our #1 need right now are people who are willing to host a Foster Dog on a regular basis. Two types of Foster Homes are needed:
- FOSTER FAMILY. A Foster Family makes a commitment to take care of at least one dog per year, taking them into their home and treating them like family until the Foster Dog is adopted out, or until 30 days are up (whichever comes first). HPHS provides an indoor crate, bedding, indoor "puppy" gates (to protect off-limit indoor areas), as well as food, dog dishes, and leashes for all Foster Families to use. We can also board the Foster Dog during its scheduled stay if the Foster Family needs to be out of town for a short period.
- KENNEL HOST FAMILY. In addition to everything provided to the Foster Family, "Kennel Host Families" are also issued an outdoor dog kennel that is a minimum of 10'x10' in size (and six feet high). The kennel is outfitted with stall mats to help keep it sanitary and easy to clean. To make the investment in a kennel set-up worthwhile for HPHS, Kennel Host Families must make a commitment to take up to 4 dogs per year until they are adopted or until 30 days are up (whichever comes first). Again, HPHS would be willing to board the Foster Dog during its scheduled stay if the Kennel Host Family needs to be out of town for a short period.
CAN'T FOSTER? Then help keep us in business saving Modoc pets by using the DONATE button to make a monetary contribution.
All donations of $100 or more made by July 31, 2018 receive two free tickets to our 2019 Taste of Modoc Fundraiser!
Thank you for your help and interest in making sure Modoc's Pets are well cared for!
