What We Do…
· A Shelter Friend works to provide positive publicity and increase visibility of the Bladen County Animal Shelter to increase adoptions.
· A Shelter Friend acts as a liaison between the shelter and rescue groups nationwide, coordinating rescue efforts and assisting with the logistics, including veterinary care and transportation. In 2008 over 1,000 dogs and cats, puppies and kittens were moved to safety; in 2009 that number reached nearly 1,400.
· Spaying and neutering reduces the number of homeless pets and pet deaths in shelters, so in 2010 A Shelter Friend organized a monthly spay and neuter program targeting low-income households in Bladen and Columbus Counties. This in addition to ongoing rescue efforts.
· A Shelter Friend strives to improve community consciousness toward the creatures sharing our lives through regular newspaper columns on pet topics. Kindness toward animals helps build a better world for all of us.
…and
How We Do It
· A Shelter Friend volunteers make extensive use of the internet and the telephone to connect homeless and unwanted dogs and cats residing in the county animal shelters of southeastern North Carolina with rescue organizations and adoptive homes.
· A Shelter Friend volunteers temporarily foster former shelter animals, especially puppies. By obtaining veterinary care and holding them in quarantine outside of the shelter, they can be safely transferred to an approved rescue group or a safe and loving home.
· The Low-income Spay/Neuter Program came about in collaboration between: A Shelter Friend, Elizabethtown Veterinary Hospital, the Bladen County Department of Social Services and Columbus Humane Society. One day a month Dr. Gensel gives of his time as do many dedicated volunteers, to perform an average of 30 spay and neuter surgeries for income-screened households. SNIP, SNIP, HOORAY!!!