Next Saturday, July 14, the Upson County Animal Shelter is hosting an Adoption Day to help kick off the deal that Bo, the shelter’s mascot, has made with the staff. At Bo’s request, there will be no adoption fees when adopting an animal from the shelter for the months of July through November; only the cost of a rabies vaccination and spaying/neutering will be required when picking out the newest member of your family.
The Adoption Day event will be held at the newly remodeled animal shelter located at 2371 Highway 74 East in Thomaston. During the event, there will be activities such as a raffle for a bike, face painting, a Dino Jump (bouncy house) and demonstrations about exercising with your pet. All of the proceeds raised during the event will go towards the travel expenses of transporting dogs from the shelter to different rescue groups.
The shelter staff and a few dedicated local volunteers have been working hard to find homes, even temporary ones through rescues, for the dogs living at the shelter. Once a rescue has agreed to take one or more of the animals in, volunteers drive them to the location where they will stay there until they are ready to be adopted. In the short time that the shelter has implemented this program, there has been a great deal of success.
“Since the beginning of June we have had over 70 rescues,” said Anne Kelley, one of the volunteers working with the shelter staff for the event. “We have had some go as far away as Maine, Michigan and Illinois, but most of the animals are taken in by groups within a 50-mile radius.”
Kelley continued, stating that the money raised during the event will go towards funding the transport of the animals throughout the state.
“We have many people who are willing to drive, but are unable to afford the cost of gas for the trip. We need all the help we can get and wanted to be able to help the volunteers with a little gas money.”
If volunteering to drive doesn’t work for you, but you still want to do your part to help out, there is a great need for pet-related supplies to help with the rescue efforts. Things such as crates, portable pens, bowls, leashes and even litter boxes for the cats, can be dropped off at the shelter or at Rescue Me Marketplace and Gifts, located at 117 South Center Street in Thomaston.
Kelley noted that members of the community have been great with offering to help, including local veterinarians Dr. Crawford and Dr. Pasley, who have worked with volunteers, and hopes their efforts and those of the shelter staff continue to pay off.
“Even if you can’t adopt a pet, Adoption Day is a great time to come out to get more information about volunteering or to make a donation to the cause. We will be doing Adoption Days the second Saturday of each month through November.”
There is still time to sign up to help with activities on the Adoption Day if you wish to sponsor a booth. Those interested can contact Anne Kelley at 706-601-0002 or email Anne@thomastonhappenings.com
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