Abandoned animals increase need at local shelters
The holidays are a time people often give to charity. It’s a
time for people to paws and give thanks that they’re fortunate
enough to be able to help others.
That’s right
– paws.
Abandoned animals increase need at local shelters
The holidays are a time people often give to charity. It’s a time for people to paws and give thanks that they’re fortunate enough to be able to help others.
That’s right – paws.
There are several animal-based charities in San Benito and South Santa Clara counties, all aimed at keeping animals safe and protected from death.
Second Chance Animal Rescue of San Juan Bautista is a non-profit organization dedicated to retrieving adoptable cats and dogs from local shelters and finding them loving homes.
Many of those cats and dogs end up in shelters because they are no longer the small, cute kittens and puppies owners bring home, but adult dogs and cats.
Second Chance can always use financial donations and the organization’s wish list includes cat litter, pet carriers, cat/dog food, and goat milk or kitten milk replacer. Volunteers are always in short supply. Second Chance may be reached via e-mail at [email protected] or phone (831) 623-2337 or (831) 637-0980.
This time of year there is an increase in abandoned animals, according to Julie Carreiro, animal control supervisor for the Hollister Animal Shelter. “It starts before Thanksgiving and goes through the holidays. Usually when it starts raining and people don’t have any money. The animals get abandoned.”
The Hollister Animal Shelter is located at 1221 South St. Donations to the shelter can be sent to 375 5th Street, Hollister, CA., 95023.
Pet Friends, the only no-kill shelter in San Benito County, started its program in 1991 and purchased the facility where it’s now located, at 2975 Buena Vista Road, in 1996.
The shelter depends entirely on private donations to sustain the facility. The workforce is volunteer-based, with the exception of two part-time animal caretakers. Currently, the shelter has 60 cats and four dogs all ready and waiting to go to a deserving family.
Pet Friends can always use financial donations, which can be made on line via credit card (www.petfriends.org), or checks can be sent to the Buena Vista Road address. Pet Friends also has a wish list of items, including postcard postage stamps for their mailers, scoopable cat litter and volunteers.
All Creatures Great and Small animal rescue is a foster-home based animal rescue located in Hollister.
Its primary function is to assist the local shelter in retrieving animals that would otherwise be euthanized, due to a lack of space or special-needs veterinary care. All pets are raised in loving foster home environments, making them more adoptable.
All Creatures needs volunteers to help with feeding feral cats and fostering animals, but gladly takes monetary donations as well. Donations can be made to ACGS by mail at P.O. Box 904, Hollister, CA., 95024, or are taken in person at an adoption day or other event.
In the South County area there is the Friends of the San Martin Animal Shelter (FOSMAS). The organization’s primary goal is to lower the euthanasia rate this year at the shelter. They hope to accomplish the goal by increasing adoptions, growing the volunteer program and providing information and financial support for local spay and neuter programs.
Some of the group’s needs this year include supplies such as dog and cat feeding bowls, kitty litter and towels and blankets for the animals. Other items you might not normally associate with the shelter include bleach, paper towels, plastic spoons, and can openers, bars of soap, laundry detergent and regular office supplies.
In addition to these basic needs there are more specific requests as well. To date, the group has saved more than $15,000 toward purchasing a trailer for the shelter. The trailer will be used for education and outreach in the community and to bring the adoptable animals out to malls and shopping centers where more people can see them and adopt them.
The organization is seeking to raise more money for a trailer that will also include a spay/neuter surgical suite for low-cost cat and dog spay/neuter surgeries for local communities they. An additional $60,000 is needed to make the goal a reality.
Other general needs include blankets, dog beds, cat beds, pet toys, collars and leashes. Checks can be made out to FOSMAS or Friends of San Martin Animal Shelter, P.O. Box 526, San Martin, CA., 95046. Or, drop off donations at the shelter during business hours. Let staff know it is for Friends of the San Martin Animal Shelter.
Town Cats, in Morgan Hill, is a no-kill adoption center/shelter and foster home network for friendly homeless cats and kittens awaiting adoption. Their goal is to bring attention to and alleviate the suffering of homeless and feral cats in Santa Clara County; to educate the public about the pet over-population problem and provide the pubic with the tools necessary to become part of the solution to assist homeless and feral cats through Trap, Neuter and Return programs; and to find permanent, loving and safe homes for house cats and kittens in their care.
With the large number of kittens Town Cats cares for there is always a need for monetary assistance. Because the majority of rescued kittens have one or a combination of ailments such as diarrhea, upper respiratory infection, (URI) ear and eye infections, malnourishment, injuries and other serious ailments.
The organization also needs monetary assistance to help meet increased medical expenses as the annual kitten season gears up.
To make a donation to Town Cats, donate on-line via credit card or send donations to Town Cats, P.O. Box 1828, Morgan Hill, CA., 95038. Food donations are also needed and can be dropped off at any of the Town Cats adoption sites during weekend adoption fairs. Visit the website for more information – www.towncats.org
