It’s not exactly a long, venerated Christmas tradition, but Saturday’s open house at the Oktibbeha County Humane Society will have a Christmas feel to it.
The event will be held from 1-3 p.m. at the OCHS, located at 510 Industrial Park Road.
“We have a Giving Tree in our lobby with the name of every adoptable pet we have in our shelter,” said Christy Wells, general manager of the OCHS. “So it’s kind of a Christmas touch. We’ll have refreshments, too, and we’ll have adoption specials going on.”
Wells said the shelter is housing 46 dogs and 47 cats, most of which are available for adoption.
“There are a few that have come in as strays that aren’t up for adoption because we try to keep them for five to 10 days to give the owners a chance to pick them up,” Wells said. “But most of our animals are ready to be adopted, and we have some great pets that need homes. Hopefully, we’ll find a lot of them homes on Saturday.”
Wells said those who want to adopt a pet can pick a tag from the tree, each of which contains a discount on the regular adoption fees. The discounts range from 20 to 50 percent off.
Regular fees are $165 for puppies, $115 for adult dogs, $90 for kittens and $65 for adult cats. Fees include spay/neuter, up-to-date vaccinations and microchips.
Wells said the Giving Tree also allows people to “symbolically adopt” a shelter animal.
“They can pick a pet from the tree and shop for it — toys, blankets, that sort of thing,” she said. “They can also visit with the animal they’ve chosen.”
Wells said pet adoptions this time of year require serious thought, and staff make a point to ensure the adoptions are not an “impulse buy.”
“We do our best to make sure they understand that this is a life-long commitment,” Wells said. “It’s not like buying a toy. Fortunately, we don’t see that sort of thing too often, though. Most people understand.”
To make sure the pet is the right fit for the family, OCHS started a “Slumber Party,” about a year ago, which allows prospective owners to take the pet they have chosen home with them for three days to a week to see how both the pets and the humans bond at home.
“If you’re just not sure the pet is the right fit, the Slumber Party is really a great way to see how it’s going to work,” Wells said. “After a few days, you have a pretty good idea. Not every pet is suited for every family, and not every family is suited for every pet.”
Wells hopes that even those who aren’t in the market for a new pet will stop by during the event.
“It’s a chance to see our facility, learn more about what we do and, hopefully, build some more support in the community,” she said.
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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