Two hearts are better than one, and many animals at the Ontario SPCA Midland and District Animal Centre are ready to connect with their ‘fur-ever’ homes.
“Beam is a two-year-old Great Pyrenees mix who came to us from North Carolina,” explained community development co-ordinator Robin Elliott. “He’s been with us since April and has not found a ‘fur-ever’ home yet, which just breaks our heart.
“Beam is deaf, but he’s very responsive to command and training. He’s a super-smart guy, really energetic, and beautiful. He would love a family. He seems to do well with other dogs; he’s not super reactive.”
Including Beam, there are 12 animals at the centre up for adoption: seven dogs, four cats, and a rabbit named Jaden, who plays fetch.
“Boots has been with us way too long, since August,” Elliott said while introducing a two-year-old, black-and-white, domestic short-haired cat with a penchant for string.
“She is a girl on her own terms; she loves to come to you for affection. She’s very sweet and playful,” said Elliott. “But she can get overstimulated, so she needs a cat-savvy home. She’s very loving. We think she might be good in a house with a gentle dog. She’s very soft, and she’s just a very lovely girl.”
An animal brought to the centre will usually undergo a three-day period while staff look for potential owners and perform necessary medical treatments, prior to putting them up for adoption.
According to Jocelyn Rutgers, registered veterinary technician with the centre, times are subjective, but a month’s stay is usually when staff get concerned for the animals.
“Way too long is anything more than a month,” explained Rutgers, “where we’re getting into, ‘Come on. Got to find you a new home now.’ We don’t want them to start to think that this is their forever home.”
Loretta, a one-year-old domestic short-haired cat resembling a calico but with tabby markings, has been with the centre for two months. Her overly affectionate disposition was emphasized by a constant purr resembling a jet engine. Jasper, the long-haired brown tabby, was shy in a quiet corner. Zombie, the black-and-white tuxedo cat, had just been spayed and was in recovery.
Both Elliott and Rutgers praised the health benefits brought along with pet ownership, including lowered blood pressure and reduced anxiety for both parties.
“Nothing like having a couch to snuggle in and a lap to snuggle up with every night,” added Rutgers.
Adoption costs for dogs are $585, and $260 for cats.
“Any animals that are adopted from the Ontario SPCA are spayed and neutered, microchipped fully, and up to date on their vaccinations,” said Elliott. “We also have a fantastic coupon package courtesy of Pet Valu worth over $150.”
While adopting a pet as a present for holidays is never recommended, Elliott confirmed safeguards remain in place for the safe placement of the animals.
“Standard adoption processes still apply during the holiday season, so we still do an assessment of the animals to find out what kind of home they’re going to thrive in. We also have all potential adopters fill out our science-based Meet Your Match survey, and that’s to give us an idea of what their home life is like so we can make sure we are making forever matches,” said Elliott.
Even if a person cannot adopt pets, there are other ways to contribute to their well-being. Volunteering, financial donations, sharing news and arrivals through social media, and providing food for the animals are a few suggestions given by Elliott.
“We know money is tight for everyone,” she said. “We do have a pet pantry, so if people are having challenges in feeding (their own) animals, they can call us and we will provide food at no cost. So, when we do have people donate food to us, that’s a huge help because that helps us continue to be able to support our community.”
The Ontario SPCA Midland and District Animal Centre is located at 15979 Hwy. 12, just outside Port McNicoll. To book an appointment for the adoption process, contact the centre at 705-534-4459 or visit the website here.
