A home for the holidays

A great reputation can be both a blessing and a curse.  

Ours is a tough job to do, but at Woodford Humane Society we work hard to do it right.  Our placement rate is between 90 and 95% annually, and we place no age or breed restrictions on the pets that come through our doors.  Nobody has a time limit on their stay, either; as long as we can keep a pet happy and healthy, it can wait with us for as long as it takes for the right family to walk through the door.  With the help of the VCA Woodford Animal Hospital, we provide exceptional veterinary care; with the help of staff, supporters, and volunteers, we provide exceptional daily care and love.  We wouldn’t have it any other way.  

But there’s a catch.  The knowledge that a pet will be safe with us makes us the destination of choice for people wanting to give up a pet, but that very same knowledge makes many potential adopters turn elsewhere to choose a pet that may not be so safe.  When those two things collide, we find ourselves in a perfect storm of high intake numbers and sluggish adoptions.  

In a perfect world, we could soldier on regardless of all obstacles, but in reality, there are very real limits on the space and resources we have to work with.  We are currently housing twice as many animals as our facility was built to hold, and many of them have waited a long time for their new homes.  25 of our pets have been homeless for more than a year; another 30 have been waiting for more than six months.  We have puppies and kittens, and seniors up to 14 years old.  We have every size, shape, and color, and every personality type from shy to spunky.  They all need homes as soon as possible, even though we don’t give them any deadlines to meet.  

For most of us, the holidays are a time for family; maybe that’s what brings this issue into sharper focus this time of year.  The hundreds of pets in our care don’t have families to spend the holidays with, but they could – they just need someone to adopt.  If you’ve been thinking of adding a furry friend to your family this holiday season, please make adoption your only option and find your new family member with us.  When you choose to adopt, you change the world for that pet, and you open up a temporary home for the next pet waiting in line.  When we, as a community, choose to adopt, we make it possible for organizations like Woodford Humane to continue providing top notch care – to continue placing 95% of our pets in great homes, and never setting time limits.  We wouldn’t have it any other way, but we can’t do it alone.  

So here’s our holiday wish, on behalf of our staff, volunteers, supporters, and pets present and future: a busy adoption center through December and beyond, and the gift of a home for the holidays – and forever – for our patient pets.  You can meet them at our adoption center 7 days a week at noon, or get in touch with us at 859.873.5491 or manager@woodfordhumane.org. Or, browse our online pet listing here before you visit.

From the Sun: Deck the halls (but not with holly)

From the November 21st edition of the Woodford Sun: 

Deck the halls (but not with holly), and other tips for pet-safe holiday decor
By Beth Oleson, Education Coordinator

 

Romy (adoptable) knows what's up

Ahh, the holidays – a time of year for tons of food, decorations, gifts, and good company…and, if you have pets, a time for obsessively protecting your food, decorations, and gifts (and sometimes your company, if you have pets like mine) from furry interference.  Defending your winter wonderland from your pets is just as important for them as it is for the holiday ambiance, though; here are some common holiday hazards and how to avoid them.  

If you’re a “deck the halls” kind of a person, go right ahead and get your deck on – just leave the holly outside.  Poinsettias tend to get a bad rap as a holiday favorite that’s dangerous to pets, but they’re actually not a danger to pets or people; a pet that eats poinsettia leaves in bulk will get an upset stomach, but won’t be at risk for more serious complications.  The same can’t be said for those boughs of holly or sprigs of mistletoe, which can cause serious cardiovascular and nervous system impairment if nibbled by a pet.  If you just can’t have holidays without mistletoe and holly, hit up a craft store and buy the artificial kind instead of the real thing.

In a season of much gift-wrapping and tree-decorating, ribbon and tinsel are in abundance.  These things are downright irresistible for many pets, and unfortunately they’re also downright dangerous.  When swallowed, long strings can become entangled in the twists and turns of a pet’s intestines and cause a range of problems, from a perforated bowel to an intestinal blockage.  If you have pets, avoid tinsel altogether, and don’t add ribbons to your gifts until the very last minute.  In the event that even your best laid plans go astray, and you see your pet with ribbon sticking out of its mouth or out of its…well, out of the other end, do NOT under any circumstances pull on the ribbon.  You do not know how much ribbon is already inside your pet and tugging from one end or the other can effectively scissor your pet’s intestines.  Get to the vet and let the professionals work it out.  

Nothing sets a magical holiday mood like natural candle light, and nothing ruins the magical holiday mood like accidentally setting your pet or your house on fire.  If candles are a big part of your holiday tradition, keep them well out of reach and don’t ever leave them unattended; this is good advice for handling candles in general, but especially important when you have inquisitive, flammable animals who might rub against them, jump over them, swat them, sniff them a little too closely, or knock them down.  Two safer alternatives are candle warmers (if you love scented candles) and LED candles (if you love the way candles look).  

Got holiday questions?  We’ve got holiday answers, so jingle our bell!  You can reach us at 859.873.5491 or manager@woodfordhumane.org.  If you want to give a pet-friendly holiday a try and all you're missing is a pet, well, 'tis the season to adopt a new best friend!  We have hundreds of dogs, puppies, cats, kittens, bunnies, and guinea pigs looking for a home to call their own this holiday season.