Look in your mailboxes for the recent February Newsletter! If you didn't receive one and would like to be added to the mailing list, please contact the animal shelter (wcas@bellsouth.net) and let us know you would like to receive upcoming newsletters.

 

Also, a few weeks ago a male Boxer was brought to the Shelter and had been hit by a car. He is a wonderful dog and has such a great personality. However, there was no identification on his collar and he was not microchipped. The shelter waited as long as possible for his owners to come forward and reclaim him, however no one did. Noah's Ark Rescue of the upstate of South Carolina http://www.noahs-arks.net kindly took him in and generously funded his Surgery and Veterinary Care. This rescue now needs help. They pull animals from Shelters when there are no more options for the animal and give them a second chance at life. Please take a moment and view their website and donate, be it $1 or $100, every little bit counts.

Dogs, Cats, Kittens, Puppies, Birds?

The Kershaw County Humane Society serves as the County Animal Shelter for Kershaw County. That means we take in any type of animal (both domestic and feral). Kershaw County Animal Control responds to calls for Livestock (Horses, Cows, Sheep, Goats, etc) as well as any type of bird. More recently at the shelter, we have had turtles, guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, turkeys, and a hawk. All find homes (either through our adoptions, or through a rescue organization) fortunately and their stay at the shelter provides a break from the norm (barking puppies and meowing cats).

Today the shelter took in 4 Parakeets. Two of them are light blue, one violet, and the fourth is green and yellow. While they provide entertainment to the office workers, they also intrigue the "misfits" which have never been up close to such a vibrantly colored dog-eater (at least, that's what the birds told the dogs). But the birds are settling in and the dogs are looking over the shoulder to make sure they stay in their cage.
This does however remind everyone how the selling/buying of animals (both domestic and exotic) can become unfair to the animals. Whether dogs and cats are over bred to sell their litters, or that a Parakeet can become so common that it's just as easy to buy a Gold Fish as it is an exotic bird from a Pet Store, the bottom line comes down to animals being purchased into households that acted on an "Impulse Decision".

Here at the shelter, when someone wants to adopt a pet as a gift or "surprise" we talk him or her into an Adoption Certificate instead. We also encourage potential adopters to consider the responsibilities that a cute and fluffy puppy will have years down the road. At the shelter, when animals are surrendered, a very common reason is "Unrealistic Expectations". Either the puppy grew into too "large of a dog", or the cat sprays, or the puppy cries at night, or whatever reason -- we all know that with animals, they bring us so much love and happiness but also require quite a bit of up-keep and responsibility.

So for the Parakeets' sake, Think before you buy -- and if you buy,

consider saving a life instead of buying one!

*Also, these birds are up for adoption!*