Foothills Animal Shelter curbs pet surrenders with Higher Collectively program

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — A neighborhood shelter is working to maintain pets and their individuals collectively in Jefferson County.

Evaluating now to 2019, proprietor surrenders are up 60% at Foothills Animal Shelter. A program known as Better Together is working to avoid wasting extra pets from being given up by serving to households going via troublesome life occasions.

“This program is targeted on actually offering sources for households who’ve pets, who need to preserve their pets, however are experiencing a circumstance that may trigger them challenges and preserving them of their residence,” Foothills Animal Shelters’ Joan Thielen stated. “This may very well be housing points, issues like home violence, hospitalization. They actually simply want momentary placement for his or her pets whereas they overcome these circumstances.”

Program fosters, boards animals to avert surrenders

With the Higher Collectively Program, households are referred to the shelter via human service agencies and animal control partners. The shelter then works to board household’s pets at Foothills or with a foster household for a median of 10 days. Ought to circumstances warrant an extended keep, there’s a new case employee on the shelter who is targeted on working immediately with households needing assist.

“Since January of this 12 months via August, we’ve seen 40 pets that want momentary placement resulting from their homeowners being hospitalized,” Thielen stated. “So there’s a major want for that service. Should you can think about being hospitalized, going via this extremely troublesome scenario, then not having your pet again at residence. We need to alleviate that. We wish you to go residence, have your pet, have that consolation.”

Within the first 5 months of the 12 months, 152 households have been supported via the next circumstances with this system:

• 23 housing
• 40 hospitalized 
• 6 home violence
• 43 incarceration 
• 28 proprietor deceased
• 7 not documented/unknown 

From January to August of this 12 months, 436 pets have been enrolled in Higher Collectively.