Pine Bluff’s Animal Control shelter at 901 N. Haverty St., adjacent to Martin Luther King Jr. Park, could use a helping hand, and for more than just petting a cat or dog awaiting adoption. The facility is always in need of donations.
“We don’t turn down any usable items,” said Angie Rutherford, the agency’s supervising animal control officer.
The most sought items are:
• Towels
• Blankets and other bedding
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
• Dog and/or cat food
• Treats
• Toys
• Litter and/or small litter boxes
• Laundry detergent
• Leashes and collars
• Newspaper
• Food dishes
• Crates and carriers
• Dog and cat beds
Rutherford said the best donation is “time.” She said volunteers are needed to play with the animals, who can become anti-social if penned without occasions of human contact. Adult volunteers are also wanted to help walk and groom the cats and dogs.
The Pine Bluff Animal Control page on Facebook includes links on how to donate a bed for animals.
“We want beds that will allow our dogs and cats to be off the floor,” said Rutherford.
The facility is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and adoption hours are 1-5 p.m. Its telephone number is 870-543-5135.
The shelter’s aim is to offer “a second chance for life” to unwanted animals, by placing them in a permanent home with responsible owners.
The department’s Web site states that once all criteria for placement have been satisfied, the new owner is required to pay a $20 adoption fee.
The new owner is issued a spay/neuter voucher that entitles them to reduced rates of $50 for dogs and $40 for cats. The animal will be transported to one of three veterinarians who participate in the sterilization program. The new pet will receive a rabies vaccination, wellness check for sterilization and a city license if the owner resides in the Pine Bluff city limits.
The new owner will be responsible for the rabies vaccination and city license at the time of the wellness check.
The veterinarian will schedule an appointment for the sterilization procedure, and record it in the adoption agreement as the compliance date. Any animal that does not meet the standards for surgery will receive a wavier.
Puppies and kittens under three months are transported to the vet clinics for basic vaccinations, and if over four months of age, they will receive a rabies vaccination. The attending veterinarian will determine the sterilization date. The new owner is responsible for the cost of the treatment.
Rutherford encourages owners of cats and dogs to put collars on their pets and attach identification tags with address and telephone information.
“Don’t forget to check with us if your pet goes missing,” said Rutherford. “We have reunited a number of pets with their owners after the pets had escaped from yards and even houses.”
— Rick Joslin