By Al Winzerling
La Plata County Humane Society
What can the La Plata County Humane Society do for you?
The Humane Society offers many services for our community, even for folks whose lives are not presently enhanced by a pet.
What we are best known for is reuniting lost pets with their owners. This is made easier if your animal has identification that can quickly disclose their owner’s current info. It can also be very helpful if your pet is licensed and microchipped. All animals adopted from the Humane Society have a chip implanted under their skin. The chip should be kept up to date with the owner’s address, phone number and other important information. In 2018, we reunited 567 lost pets with their owners. That’s a lot of happy owners and animals!
Adopting out great animals to “forever homes” is one of our goals. There is a nominal fee for this service and an application is required. Hundreds of dogs and cats come through our doors every year. In 2018, we adopted out 1,758 animals.
We have dedicated and well-trained professional staff members who investigate and assist in prosecuting animal abuse. Our animal protection officers investigate many types of cases, including neglect, hoarding, starvation and general mistreatment. They help all types of animals, including horses and livestock.
Kids Kamp is held every summer. Young animal enthusiasts ages 11 to 15 have a great opportunity to learn about being a responsible pet owner, including caring for and training their pets. It is also an opportunity to meet some of their peers and just have fun with animals. There are three Kids Kamps, with the first starting June 10 and the last on Aug. 12. All 2019 summer Kids Kamps are full.
Low-cost spay and neuter clinics are preformed every Tuesday for those who can’t afford the cost of going to one of our great local vet clinics. Call 259-2847 to book an appointment.
We also offer dog training through pranaDOGS Behavior and Rehabilitation Center, which includes basic manners and communication classes. Service dog and dog reactivity workshops are also offered. There is a nominal fee for these services. If you are interested, email info@pranadogs.com.
LPCHS also offers education and outreach, such as the “Read-to-a-Dog” Program, which is great for children who are nervous to read in front of their peers but can relax while reading to a nonjudgmental dog.
The Foster Care Program provides newborns, seniors, medical and behavioral dogs and cats a loving home where they can relax and work on being their best selves before returning to the shelter to be adopted. We have a dedicated, amazing foster coordinator and group of volunteers who provide this vital service.
Finally, almost all funding to operate the animal shelter is generated by sales from our Thrift Store. It’s a great place to find items for summer, ski season, Snowdown or any time. And everything stays local.
There are many more services that we provide, and they can be viewed on our website, lpchumanesociety.org. Help us help them, one paw at a time.
Al Winzerling is an LPCHS board member.
