Free to good home

Early last week, an anonymous donor paid the adoption fees for all nine cats and three dogs waiting for homes at the shelter. Now all that’s needed are the right families.

“They actually contacted us and asked how many animals we had,” said Nicole Jimmerson, shelter employee.

What did the $2,000 donation cover?

“People think we get free vet services, and we don’t. We don’t even get discounted vet services, so we pay what anyone else would,” said Jimmerson.

The adoption fees provided for the cost of spay and neuter surgery, vaccinations, heartworm testing for dogs and heartworm, FIV and FeLk testing for cats, and microchipping for all the animals.

“We had two dogs and one cat adopted so far,” Jimmerson said. That leaves eight cats and one dog searching for their forever homes.

“I’d like to see them all adopted,” said Rita Eckhardt, shelter employee.

Turbo is an older red-heeler mix puppy who would make the perfect farm dog companion, according to shelter staff.

The cats are quite a mixture from rambunctious youngsters to sourpuss bachelors.

“We do have a set of triplets,” Jimmerson said, pointing out three gray tiger-striped kittens. “They’ve been here since they were babies. This is all they’ve ever known.”

Small brushes are tied inside each of their cages, so the cats can brush themselves when they’re bored.

“They want to get out and play, but we don’t have a good cat room yet. It’s one of our goals,” she said.

An 8-year-old calico in a corner cage stands out due to her quiet and calm demeanor.

“She’s a sweet girl,” said Jimmerson, and the cat is one of the few who come to the shelter already declawed and fixed. “In my opinion, she’s the perfect package.”

She was surrendered by her family, Jimmerson says, after they got a new pet she didn’t get along with.

“That’s why we do trial adoptions,” said Jimmerson.

Perspective owners fill out a simple application form before taking an animal home. They must be over 18 and have an ID which displays their current address.

“For rentals, we have to speak with the landlord,” said Jimmerson. “Sometimes we do a home check. We try to use good judgment about what an appropriate environment for a certain animal is.”

While most people do their homework before adopting, there are issues with every breed that come as a surprise. Pitbull mixes, for instance, she said, are known for chewing when they get nervous or bored. Training needs to take these kinds of potential problems into consideration.

“We’re more cautious because everyone wants a puppy for Christmas, so, especially around this time of year, we’ll do a trial adoption,” said Jimmerson. “Sometimes, with the dogs, we will have a meet-and-greet with other pets.”

She stresses the importance of open communication with the shelter. If a placement doesn’t work out, they want to ensure the best outcome for the pets involved. Unfortunately, they don’t have an endless number of spaces for cats and dogs with nowhere to go.

“A lot of people don’t understand. When we say we can’t take anymore cats it’s because we have two to a cage,” said Jimmerson. “You can’t afford anymore than that in here. It’s really not humane.”

Even then, the public is often frustrated by what they perceive is a lack of concern. Osceola has more than it’s fair share of feral felines.

“Feral cats have lived all their lives outside. When you bring them in here, that’s animal cruelty,” said Jimmerson.

Unless it is very young, she says, a feral cat will never learn to use a litter box. If it’s male, it will spray indoors. They can also pass along a number of diseases and, when let inside, can make quick work of destroying a home.

“Feral cats are just as bad as dogs. They’ll tear stuff up. They’ll chew. They’ll scratch the walls. It’s very hard to explain to people to leave them outdoors,” Jimmerson said, and it’s not just about human safety or convenience.

“A lotw of times they’ll go through the winter outside fine,” she says, “but it’s when you bring them in here that they die.”

Unfortunately, when people surrender very sick animals, sometimes the only responsible thing to do is euthanize.

“We had a person bring in a cat a couple months ago. She thought the cat was pregnant and win labor. It actually was a male filled with fluid. Congestive heart failure,” said Jimmerson. “It was past the point of even undergoing surgery that would have helped it.”

It’s a balancing act. Because the shelter does not routinely euthanize pets, they don’t always have space for newcomers.

“Usually, we refer them to other shelters. We reach out,” said Eckhardt.

Now that the adoption fees have been paid for their current residents, employees are hopeful there will soon be room for other homeless dogs and cats.

Local pet-lover Ashley Morris recently stopped in to take a walk through the cat room.

“I have a cat and a dog right now,” said Morris, though free adoption fees weren’t the reason she stopped out. “I actually just lost one of my cats. He was 18 years old. I had him since I was 3.”

Volunteers are always welcome at the shelter. While there are plenty of pens to be cleaned and bowls to be filled, they’re also in need of people who just want to spend time with them, said Jimmerson.

Whether the public wants to look for a new pet or just volunteer, the shelter is open 4-7 p.m. Mondays, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesdays, 4-7 p.m. Wednesdays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Fridays, 9 a.m.-3p.m. Saturdays and evenings by appointment. Call 641-342-1180 for more information.