|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
It was love at first sight for 82-year-old Pleasanton resident Ray Brandon and Lady, a small dog with an underbite from Valley Humane Society.
“As soon as I saw her, I knew I wanted her,” Brandon said of meeting the 4-year old pup in August. “She came home and fit right in, used the dog door and walks on a leash. She’s cuddly and she’s happy and doesn’t bark every time somebody comes to the door. If you put an order in, she’s the dog.”
Brandon is one of many senior Tri-Valley residents who has found their furr-ever friend at VHS, a nonprofit organization in Pleasanton that saves and improves the lives of companion animals in the area. Their work spans pet adoptions, low-rate spay and neuter services, animal food distribution to the community and more.
“Seniors considering adding an animal to their home can work with the Valley Humane team to help make the best match,” VHS President Melanie Sadek told the Weekly.
One VHS program, called Seniors for Seniors, is specifically meant to connect people over 65 years old with dogs and cats 7 years and older.
These senior animals often come from homes where the owner has passed away or the family can’t afford to care for their pet anymore.
Now, they can become part of a new family at half off the adoption fee.
“Animal shelters are no place for senior animals, and unfortunately, we don’t see a lot of adopter interest in seniors,” Sadek said.
It can be hard for some people knowing they’d have less time with an older animal, she explained.
But they are the perfect companions, as they might not require much activity and are typically potty-trained, according to Sadek.
They also tend to be fond of quieter environments, and they may have health conditions that need special attention.
“It is well-known that people thrive when given the opportunity to care for an animal,” Sadek said. “You are also providing an opportunity for a senior animal to have a wonderful ending to their story.”
All the adoptions at VHS, including those in the Seniors for Seniors program, are carefully considered matches.
For example, if someone is not willing to house-train, then VHS won’t pair them with an animal that needs that kind of training.
Or in the case of adoption by a senior with limited mobility, VHS doesn’t typically match them with a dog that needs five-mile walks every day.
“We’re transparent about what we know and what we don’t know about the animal,” said Emily Scholz, adoption and foster manager at VHS.
That’s a vital part of making sure the adopters and the adoptees are suited for each other, she explained.
The attention to matchmaking is still important amid a general decline in adoption rates.
Since a lot of people adopted during the pandemic, they aren’t looking to adopt another animal, Scholz explained. It’s not an issue of more animals at VHS, it’s just a drop in demand.
On top of that, the number of adopters of senior animals is low, so VHS tries to keep only two or three senior dogs at a time and about the same number of senior cats.
“Our ability to make a significant impact for all animals requires us to move animals through our system into new homes quickly. Holding animals for three to six months significantly reduces our ability to help multiple animals,” Sadek explained.
But even if VHS can’t intake a senior animal or younger animal, owners can use the organization’s social platform to find their pet a new home, as part of VHS’s Home to Home program.
In addition to its adoption services, VHS also supports the community through animal food distribution and affordable vet care to help families keep their pets.
Through the AniMeals program, the organization distributes about 250,000 animal meals every year to help families keep pets. And through the Phil Scholz Veterinary Surgery Center in Pleasanton, which celebrated its grand opening last May, they offer low-cost spay and neuter services.
VHS will also start its first Field Vet Program to provide veterinary care to clients at Open Heart Kitchen and neighbors at Goodness Village this year. They expect to expand the program to CityServe of the Tri-Valley in the coming months too.
Their work relies on a team of 25 employees, about 500 active volunteers and funding by private donors and grants, Scholz said.
Though they receive no government funds, tax dollars, or money from national humane organizations, according to their website. “We are very fortunate to have long-term donors and support from a community that supports animal welfare,” Scholz said.
The public is welcome to meet adoptable animals at VHS from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays at 3670 Nevada St. in Pleasanton. Additional opportunities to meet a furry friend also come up throughout the year, as VHS holds adoption events at pet stores, corporate events and sometimes wineries.
For just this year, senior cat adoption fees are waived for adopters of all ages because of a gift to VHS in honor of Patrick Phelan.
Potential adopters of any age should create a plan for animal care including cleaning, exercising, and veterinary costs before adoption.
For more information about Valley Humane Society, visit its website at valleyhumane.org.
