ASPCA anniversary has me thinking locally...

Posted: Apr 9, 2010 at 4:19 PM [Yesterday]

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) was founded 144 years this week, in 1866. I had no idea they've been
around so long! In honor of this monumental achievement, I wanted to let families know what they can do on a local level, and what to expect when adopting a pet from Ann Arbor's own Humane Society of Huron Valley (www.hshv.org).

I hear many families considering adopting pets before summer, in hopes that their children will have the entire summer vacation to acquaint themselves and/or train their new pets. After checking out the Humane Society of Huron Valley's website, I learned there is a lot more to adopting a pet than one would think.
We've all seen the movies where a young girl or boy peruses countless cages of wagging tales and sad eyes, only to end up saying "I want that one!" and off they go into a furry and forevermore sunset.

Not so fast. These are some things the Humane Society wants you to know before your visit:

1. You must be 21 years of age.
2. If you currently have a dog and are looking for another, a "dog-to-dog interaction" is required for approval.
3. You must fill out an adoption survey before you visit with the animals. They are available at the desk or you can download them online.
4. There is an entire list of documentation you need to bring, everything from vet records to apartment leases proving pets are allowed.
5. Expect to pay $25 to $100 for cats, and $100 to $250 for dogs.

In my opinion, the fee is truly worth it when you see all of the veterinary services that are included, and the humane society is a non-profit, so they have to stay afloat somehow.

One thing I learned that I thought was terrific, is sometimes there will be two dogs listed as "Perfect Pairs", which means they will only be adopted-out together. This could be at the request of the previous owner who was unable to keep them, or just that they've never been apart so it would be too upsetting to them to be separated.

There may be a lot to go through when adopting a pet. The good news is you know exactly what your are getting, and the organization knows exactly what the animal is getting too. They are in the business of finding the perfect family-animal match so you end up adopting a very healthy, happy, tail-wagging or purring addition to your family.