KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) - The 10,000 animals adopted from the Kearney Area Animal Shelter since it opened in 2006 mostly have been dogs and cats, of course.
However, there have been bunnies, birds and guinea pigs, a couple of chinchillas, and an occasional snake, according to Executive Director Olivia Derr.
Dogs and cats usually are brought to the shelter by the public as surrendered pets or strays that legally become the shelter’s if not claimed after 72 hours, Derr told the Kearney Hub.
The shelter also has contracts with the Kearney Police Department and Buffalo County Sheriff’s Department to take strays.
“If we’re too full, we have to ask the public to hold their animals,” Derr said, which can be the case in late winter-early spring. “…We have kitten season coming up. In February and March, it’s going to be a (population) boom.”
She said the shelter usually has enough space for dogs and “can kind of finagle the cat capacity” between holding rooms and areas with public access.
“I would say we’re almost full on cats all the time,” Derr said, noting that limits must be set because there are only so many kennels. “… Dogs, it just depends.”
She said other issues of concern when a lot of animals are in limited spaces are the possible spread of disease and overwhelming the shelter’s animal care staff.
When people are asked to wait to bring in animals, some find adopters on their own.
The focus is on local animals, Derr said, but the Kearney shelter sometimes will take transfers from other shelters in Nebraska and or, occasionally, another state.
The “work up” for all strays and any surrendered cats or dogs without up-to-date health/medical care documents includes basic health exams, vaccinations, spays or neuters and microchips. Each adopted animal is sent to its new home with a collar, engraved identification tag and small bag of food.
“All of our animals are altered before they leave the facility. They are all fixed,” Derr said late last week. It was about 24 hours after one of the weekly spay and neuter days for shelter animals, which was why several kittens and dogs were wearing post-surgical plastic cones around their necks.
“Last year, we had one public spay and neuter clinic. Then COVID hit,” Derr said, about the first such event in Buffalo County. “We are hoping to do more.”
That will depend on having a location, funding and enough volunteers, she explained.
Kittens, puppies and small dogs usually get new homes quickly. “Small dogs just fly out of here,” Derr said. “We’ll have lines of people for smaller dogs, usually. Here, people also really like to adopt the older dogs.”
Adoptions for young adult animals that may be “unruly” can be more difficult, she said, but it depends on what people are looking for in a pet.
Derr said that when potential dog adopters come to the shelter with no particular type in mind, staff members show them a variety of breeds, ages and sizes ready for adoption while also asking questions about families’ lifestyles and activities.
Sometimes the only thing the staff knows about an animal is what they learn by observation.
“We want to find the best animal to fit with your family,” Derr said, adding that staff members are skilled at making good matches.
A new way to celebrate adoptions started a few months ago. Adopters ring a bell as they leave the shelter with their new pets to acknowledge each animal life saved.
“It’s so fun,” Derr said about hearing that bell ring.
Fewer strays were brought to the Kearney shelter from March and April last year, which Derr believes was due to more people working from home and spending more time with their pets.
Although animal shelters in many parts of the country reported seeing spikes in pet adoptions related to COVID-19, Derr said there was no such surge at the Kearney shelter.
She said that no matter the circumstances, the goal is to ensure a good outcome for the animals and adopters.
For example, prospective pet owners need to know that animal care can be expensive and a bigger hardship on people faced with lost jobs, fewer work hours or other economic issues now.
It’s important to consider what happens to a new pet if an owner who has been working at home returns to a job requiring long hours spent away from home. “You have time now, but will you have time later?” Derr said.
One Kearney shelter adoption requirement is no surprise gifting. She said the person who will own an animal must come to the shelter to meet the potential new pet and also confirm that other requirements can be met.
Adoption rates are based on animals’ ages and adoption demand.
For dogs, the range is $300 for puppies age 12 weeks or younger to $50 for senior dogs age 10 or older. Cat fees range from $100 for kittens under 5 months old to $35 for barn cats.
The fees help pay vaccination and spay or neuter costs for the adopters’ animals. Derr said higher fees for high-demand pets also provide a financial “legacy” for other animals needing medical care and/or more time to find a home.
“We don’t make any money on our adoptions,” she explained. The shelter relies on grants, donations of cash and pet supplies, and volunteer help for day-to-day operations.
The shelter’s staff has done all of the animal care, from cleaning to socializing, since last spring because of COVID-19, Derr said. She hopes that at least veteran volunteers can be put back on the schedule soon.
Fostering animals - kittens and puppies too young for adoption, moms and babies, animals needing some extra medical care or socialization - is another way people can help. “We provide all the supplies,” Derr said.
Fostering is good for the animals needing some extra individual care and helps keep shelter space open for other animals. “There always, always is a need for more fosters,” she said.
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