Morning Side BARC

Anyone who has ever started looking around for an animal to add to the family knows that getting a new pet can be very expensive, and it seems almost impossible to find a free pet. Many breeders ask for several hundred dollars, even for the smallest dogs or cats. Golden Retrievers are usually $700 to $800, Maine Coon cats can cost up to $900 or $1000, and rare exotic animals run much higher.

However, considering all of the pets in the world who are currently homeless, and are living in animal shelters without a loving family, it seems unreasonable and nonsensical to spend hundreds of dollars for a pet when there are so many who need to be saved.

While there are a number of animal rescue organizations and pet shelters around the country, there is only one resource which you should always start with, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

Healthy Pets Aren’t Always Free

Before we examine why it’s best to start with the ASPCA, which does charge some fees for adopting and rescuing pets, it’s important to note that it is possible to find a free pet, if you are careful and follow a few important guidelines.

Searching through the classified ads in the newspaper or online classified ads like PetsAds or PetsClassifieds.us, you can locate listings for free pets that people are giving away. It’s critical to understand that most free pet ads are from people who are giving away their pets for the following reasons:

They are moving to a place that doesn’t take pets.

They can no longer afford to have a pet.

They found a stray, but can’t keep it.

These are usually well-meaning people, but keep in mind that if they have a pet that they can no longer afford to keep, the pet may not be 100% healthy. If you do decide to take the classified ad route, just remember that most of the things that the fees pay for at the ASPCA, you will have to pay for anyway – including all shots, medical checkups and neutering.

It is perfectly okay to find free pets on your own, just remember that pets are never “free”. You will need to pay for the up-front (and continuing) health care for the rest of it’s life.

ASPCA and Pet Adoption

The ASPCA is a wonderful organization that helps to promote animal shelters and rescue organizations that take excellent care of animals across the country. At the ASPCA Website, you can adopt and save homeless animals in the following ways:

Find a Shelter

By clicking on the “Find a Shelter” link, you are taken to a search page where you can search for local animal shelters by city and state. The ASPCA doesn’t technically endorse the shelters listed by this utility, but it provides the search function to animal lovers who need a resource to find local shelters.

This is a very comprehensive National Shelter Directory, and it is a service to help families with lots of love to offer to connect with animals that need the love. Buying a pet from a local shelter is essentially like getting a free pet, because the fees to adopt a pet cover many of the upfront medical costs you were incur if you’d picked up the animal as a stray or free from a classified ad. Animal shelters take care of the upfront health concerns, so that when you adopt a pet from a shelter, you can be certain that the animal is healthy and well cared for.

In addition, many shelters offer a unique incentive for people to have their pets properly neutered by offering a discount or refund for the procedure with local vets.

ASPCA Adoption Center

The ASPCA Adoption Center provides listings of hundreds of cats and dogs who need a home. The main page of the adoption center explains everything you will need in order to adopt a pet. This is good to read even if you aren’t going to the ASPCA, because most shelters require the same information. Things you will need if planning to adopt a pet:

· Two forms of identification with your address on it (at least one picture ID)

· Two personal references who can be reached by phone

· Proof of vaccination for the pets that you already own.

· Proof of income

While this may seem excessive to some people, it’s important to understand that there are a lot of people out there who would not think twice about harming or being cruel to animals. The job of the ASPCA and all animal shelters across the country, is to protect animals from cruelty, and to make sure that animals are placed in homes where they have the best chances of being as loved and cared for as they deserve to be.

The benefits of adopting through the ASPCA (many animal shelters offer these same benefits):

14 days of free follow-up vet care

A leash, collar, and pet carrier to help bring the animal home

Educational literature about pet behavior and pet care

Free spay/neutering, vaccinations, microchipping and registration, all provided as part of the adoption fee.

 

Obviously, the only good option for finding a free pet is going through the ASPCA, or through a local animal shelter. This will ensure that you are getting a healthy pet, and you can feel good about doing your part to save an animal from a live without a home, and without love.

Support Animal Rescue Efforts With a Portrait

When you adopt your new pet, show people how much you love your new furry friend by having a pet portrait done by professional artist Nikky Hughes of Los Angeles. Nikky was classically trained at the Mission Renaissance art school, and she focuses on capturing not only the beauty, but the unique character of each animal. She will accept photos through the mail of pets, and then create stunning portraits from those pictures. Pet portraits are ideal because they can be done from a photo (as apposed to getting the pet to “pose” at a studio.)

The great thing about Nikky is that she’s a pet lover herself, and this is reflected in how she runs her business. Nikki donates 5% of every commission to an animal rescue foundation. This is a wonderful way that you can help to support the cause of animal rescue – and receiving a stunning portrait of your new pet in the process.

On October 2, the Animal Coalition of Tampa (ACT) received a $15K grant to help start a new spay/neuter program, “The Big Fix”. This program offers further reduced spay/neuter fees for working class families.

ACT received the $15,000 award after applying for a grant from the Florida Animal Friends License Plates Fund—supported by the sales of Florida’s specialty Spay/Neuter auto tags. The grant ACT submitted outlined research that showed a need to assist working class families with spay/neuter services for their pets.

“Our research showed many in the working class did not qualify for the county funded program that offers help to those on social assistance. The working class families had little left over to spend to do the right thing for their pets.” said Linda Hamilton, executive director of ACT.

“The Big Fix” provides spay/neuter surgeries for cats for $20, and dogs for $55. This price is even lower than ACT’s already reduced spay/neuter procedures offered to the public.

WHY “THE BIG FIX”? Last year, over 33,000 unwanted dogs and cats were admitted into our county shelters. More than 80% of them were euthanized, according to Hillsborough County statistics.

“We as a community have to stop taking our animals to the shelters. We have to stop killing our unwanted pets. We can prevent euthanasia by stopping the unwanted births-with spay and neuter.” said Hamilton.

HOW TO QUALIFY: “It’s as easy as finding out if your housing costs are more than 30-percent of your total household income,” said Hamilton. “Applicants simply need provide a Florida drivers license or Florida ID card and proof of housing costs and income.” For more information about the program, call (813) 250-3900 or visit www.actampa.org.

ABOUT ACT: ACT is a non-profit organization. Their primary focus is high volume spay/neuter programs to reduce the number of companion animals entering local shelters, and in turn, limit euthanasia. *Spay/neuter costs at ACT are greatly reduced and range from $40 to $95. *For low income Hillsborough County residents who qualify, the cost is merely $10, through the County’s voucher program. *Certain restrictions apply

Get your “ACT” together and help ACT continue to help pets in our community by registering for their 6th Annual Stride for Strays community event and pet walk, taking place on Saturday, November 4 at Al Lopez Park in Tampa. Individuals and teams collect donations that help ACT work towards an end to pet overpopulation. There will be prizes, entertainment, demonstrations and fun-filled activities such as flyball, Frisbee, a pet wash and contests for best trick and pet/owner look-alike and more!