FRUIT HEIGHTS — More face time for Davis County animal shelter dogs and cats, both in the community and online, has pet adoptions moving faster than a greyhound.
And Davis County Animal Care and Control officials are lapping it up.
In the last three months, the shelter has placed 300 pets through adoption, the majority being dogs, said Tracy Roddom, shelter operations manager.
That total is significantly up from the 200 pets the shelter adopted out at this time a year ago, Roddom said.
“I know, it’s crazy. I think it is because we are really out in the community more.”
Shelter officials have been hosting more adoptable pet events in the community, Roddom said, including one held Saturday at the Layton PetSmart.
“We are at PetSmart every weekend with adoptable animals from the shelter,” she said.
Before Saturday’s event, Roddom said she anticipated two dogs — Tanner, a 9-month-old Labrador-retriever mix, and Shaggy, a 5-year-old cocker spaniel mix, both male — to be available.
The shelter is also having success posting its adoptable animals on Facebook, Roddom said.
“I think that has been helpful.”
Utilizing its rescue groups and the Best Friends and No More Homeless Pets organizations has also been useful in promoting animal adoptions, Roddom said.
“We have got so many events coming up within our community that are a positive reflection (on) the shelter,” she said.
In previous years, county staff waited for the public to come to them, said Davis County Commissioner John Petroff Jr.
“Now,” he said, “we are taking the adoptions to the people.”
Shelter staff members work hard to adopt out the animals and to return impounded animals to their rightful owners, lowering the overall number of animals that have to be euthanized, Petroff said.
Volunteers have also been helpful in coordinating adoption efforts, he said.
The slow economy doesn’t appear to be hindering the shelter’s adoption program.
Roddom said a few families have signed pets over to the shelter, but officials have been extremely successful in finding new homes for those animals.
“Our goal this year is to re-home 1,800 animals,” she said.
The shelter re-homed about 1,200 animals last year.
“We have had people travel from out of state to pick up a dog,” Roddom said, referring to a man who came from Colorado to pick up a pointer puppy.
Cat adoptions are also up, Roddom said.
And, she said, the shelter has two guinea pigs that need a new home.
Adoption costs range from $125 to $175 and include the pet being licensed, spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped.
For more information, call the shelter at 801-444-2200.
Comments