Who could say no to a friendship in which love and affection are unconditional?
PALS Rescue is giving area residents to have that chance with an Adoption Day from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at ther site of the new PALS animal shelter, 1071 Marks Road in Fernwood.
There, residents can adopt a pet, get a sneak peek at the new animal shelter, volunteer their time and resources and donate to a worthy cause.
PALS Rescue members recently were honored by the Enterprise-Journal as “Citizens of the Year” for their love of animals and the service to the community that the shelter provides in getting stray animals off the streets and out of abusive and neglectful homes.
PALS members have persevered since 1999 in getting a much-needed shelter for found and rescued animals in Pike County. The shelter is near completion, PALS board member Melanie Carruth said.
“The shelter is coming along nicely,” Carruth said. “The main building is enclosed, but kennels are not yet finished. The interior is going up now and we should have walls anytime now.”
By the time the organization “Justice and Compassion for Animals” spay-and-neuter tour arrives on Aug. 11, the shelter should be complete with a fenced-in lot where PALS members and rescued animals will have a “Waggin’ Trail” and a “Bark Park” for fresh air and exercise, Carruth said.
JCA offers support to financially challenged families and seniors in getting their new pets spayed and neutered. Their fees are based on a sliding scale according to the family’s income. Applications can be downloaded at JCA’s website, www.jc4a.com.
“There are also local vets who will give a discount for spaying and neutering animals adopted through PALS,” Carruth said. “Saturday, we should have around 20 dogs and cats available for adoption,” she said. “Breeds are mixed and vary in age.
“Most of these dogs are rescued out of bad situations,” Carruth said. “We are in need of homes where they will get a lot of love and attention.”
The organization also will have one or two litters of kittens that people can adopt but may not yet be ready to take home, Carruth said.
Adopting families will fill out an application, and adoption fees will vary according to the animal’s needs, Carruth said.
“Some animals have already had shots — their fees will be lower than for those that PALS has vaccinated,” Carruth said, adding that PALS will only charge the new family the shelter’s expense in vaccinating the animal.
Saturday also will be a good day for those interested in volunteering for PALS to talk to members about the organization and what jobs need to be filled.
Donations for the shelter will be greatly appreciated at Saturday’s event, Carruth said.
Anyone who loves animals but can’t adopt at this time can still be a part of the shelter’s mission by bringing items such as water and food bowls, kennels, collars, leashes, dog houses, cat and dog food, cat litter and pans, treats and chew toys, and monetary donations.
PALS is developing its own website. Until then, people can visit the organization on Facebook and see photos of newly arrived animals and the progress of the shelter.
To get to the shelter site, take Highway 98 East, then south on Old Industrial Park Road. The shelter will be the large metal building on the right at the corner of Old Industrial Road and Marks Road.
The address to reach board members by e-mail is PALS39648@hotmail.com.
