PARKERSBURG - The Humane Society of Parkersburg will soon begin a new monthly adoptions program aimed at getting more people to adopt a pet.
The humane society will begin Super Special Saturday Adoption specials this Saturday, according to executive director Maryann Hollis.
"Our goal is to target those families who are considering getting a pet to look at adopting an animal," Hollis said. "They will save a life and get an animal that is already current on vaccinations and is altered."
The program will feature select "special" pets that will be available for adoption for a reduced fee and will be held the last Saturday of each month at the shelter.
The adoption fees will be $75 for select dogs and $45 for select cats for approved adopters. As always, the adoption fees include spay or neuter, at least one vaccination, worming, rabies vaccination and any medical care that has been provided.
The reduced adoption fees are made possible by private sponsorship of the pet to help cover the costs associated with adoption.
"Those are costs people don't sometimes think of when considering the addition of a pet to their family," Hollis said. "The largest portion of the cost of adoption is the medical care, including the spay or neuter of the adopted animal, and we thank our sponsors for helping adopters out in covering those costs."
To adopt, families will need to complete an adoption application for approval.
"We do check veterinary references to ensure current animals are up to date on their shots and altered," Hollis said. "No one should want to bring a new pet into the home without having their current pets up to date on vaccinations."
This is for the welfare of the current resident pets of the homes.
"We also check with landlords to ensure pets are allowed in their rental properties," Hollis said. "If families have this information, they are more than welcome to bring it with them to speed up the adoption process."
The shelter at 29th and Poplar streets will be open 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. on Super Special Saturdays. Super Special Saturday pets will be featured in the News and Sentinel Pet of the Week and on the shelter's website at www.hsop.org.
The humane society will have more sponsored pets than what can be featured in the newspaper, so potential adopters are encouraged to check the website and stop at the shelter to look at the available animals.
