More and more people are making the choice to adopt when they decide they’re ready to bring home a new pet. That’s a trend we can get behind! If you ask new, proud pet parents why they chose to adopt, you’re likely to get a different answer for each day of the week – but these are a few of our favorite reasons that adoption is the best option.
Adoption is a second chance
We all have ideas about what “shelter pets” are. Many people have it in the back of their minds that, for an animal to become homeless, there must be something wrong with it: it’s unfriendly, it’s sick, it’s been abused, it’s badly-behaved. The truth, though, is that almost all of the animals who rely on Woodford Humane are brought to us because of problems in their owners’ lives, not their own; and no animal, regardless of breed, age, training, or temperament, is immune to that.
Woodford Humane provides a temporary home to animals from all kinds of backgrounds. Some arrive here because they are found roaming and no owner comes to claim them; some are surrendered to us by owners who are no longer able to provide them with the care they need. But they all have two things in common: they’re all looking for love that will last a lifetime, and they all deserve a second chance to find it.
Adoption is the best bang for your buck
Adoption fees at Woodford Humane range from $15 – $225, and they’re a great deal for you at every level. Our fees are much less than what you would pay a breeder, and they include hundreds of dollars of veterinary care. Every adoption fee covers the pet’s spay or neuter surgery, current vaccines, parasite treatments and prevention, heartworm screening (for dogs) or FIV/feline leukemia screening (for cats), and a HomeAgain Microchip with a lifetime registration. If you got a pet for “free” you could spend upwards of $500 to provide that care package yourself.
Adoption helps fight pet overpopulation
Our dream has always been to work our way to a world where adoption organizations like ours are no longer needed, but that dream is a long way off. Overpopulation of cats and dogs remains a huge problem in the United States and around the world, and is the biggest driver of pet homelessness and, sadly, euthanasia. We are happy to say we do not have to make those hard choices at Woodford Humane; but so many organizations do not.
Every animal that comes through Woodford Humane is spayed or neutered; by adopting, you can rest assured that your pet will never contribute to the overpopulation problem. You’ll help us work toward that big dream.
We pride ourselves on doing things right
Adopting from any rescue is a wonderful thing to do, so why choose Woodford Humane? Because we pride ourselves on doing right by both pets and adopters, before, during, and after adoption.
Woodford Humane Society is a small organization with a home-town mentality. Our dedicated staff know the animals by name, and get to know each of them as individuals during their time here, which can be as short as a single day or as long as a few years; we place no time limit on the stay of any animal in our care. With the help of our veterinary partners at Eckert Veterinary Hospital and our CHAMPS Emergency Medical Fund, we treat any injury or illness that we possibly can. We have helped animals recover from gunshot wounds and road injuries, treated cases of parvo and heartworms, and nursed dogs and cats back to health from everything from a cold to an amputation.
Our placement rate is over 95%.
When it’s time for an animal to go home, we do our very best to make the right match – but we also provide options in case things don’t work out. Our Foster to Adopt program gives adopters a week to test the waters and make sure their new pet is healthy and a good fit for their home. We provide every adopter with a free veterinarian visit at participating clinics following adoption, and Eckert Veterinary Hospital has already cared for almost every animal by the time they are adopted.
And we are always here to provide help for our adopters and adoptees, even years down the road. Our Adoptions Counselors are happy to discuss tips and resources to address problems if they arise, because our goal – and yours – is to facilitate adoptions that last a lifetime. We’re just a phone call or an email away.