Special Needs
Fix A Friend Spay Neuter Clinic
"The Greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
-Mahatma Ghandi
About Us |
Each week volunteers visit local animal controls to see what is available for adoption. They liaison with shelter staff to learn which animals are getting overlooked, running out of time or who may have special needs. If space is available within Adopt an ANGEL, our volunteers pay the adoption fees and take the animal(s) into our program. While they are at animal control, our volunteers make mental notes of animals that were left behind. They can still help spread the word, network, and market these animals even though we did not physically take them in. Once we have adopted what we could, we move them to foster homes or boarding facilities. From there, animals are transported to local vet offices to be spayed/neutered (if they aren't already), given rabies shots, and dogs are checked for heartworms. If any of our dogs test positive we schedule their heartworm treatment and begin to raise funds because the treatment is very costly. The more the dog weighs, the more expensive the procedure. If there is any available cage space at Petco or Pet Supermarket, foster homes transport their foster cats into them or we take cats/kittens from New Hanover County Animal Control and move them there. We have cats/kittens available at Petco and Pet Supermarket 7 days a week being taken care of by store staff and caring volunteers. When one gets adopted we are immediately notified and we can fill the cage quickly. Every weekend, our volunteers tirelessly erect a mobile animal shelter on the sidewalk of Petco. It is our ADOPTION FAIR! One volunteer begins as early as 7:30 am to begin setting up cages and crates, lining crates with blankets, filling litter pans, food and water bowls, and setting up fans, tables and signs. He's the Early Bird! Others file in at 10 am to finish the final touches. Volunteers transport dogs from boarding facilities to the adoption fair while foster parents transport their foster pets from home to the fair. On any given weekend, you can find 10 or more homeless dogs and 10-15 homeless cats and even more kittens hoping to find their forever homes. At 2 pm, one set of volunteers leave and another set comes in to finish the day. All day long, dogs are walked, cages cleaned and animals get adopted. People interested in self fostering or other foster homes show up and get vaccines and dewormings to get their animals ready for the next adoption fair. Although the fair should end by 5, it takes until 7-8:00 pm before it is completely broken down and then we do it ALL over again on Sunday, but it's worth it. Anywhere from 5-15 animals are adopted out weekly and that's what gives us the space to take in more the following week. Through the week, volunteers are taking pictures of homeless animals, posting them to Petfinder, Craig's List, Facebook and spreading the word. We create adoption packets, applications, medical forms, and brochures. Foster homes transport animals to and from vets and treat sick or injured animals. We purchase supplies, pay vet bills, and maintain 3 transport vehicles. We answer phone calls and emails regarding HUNDREDS more homeless animals that we can't possibly take, but we try to offer suggestions and brainstorm to help keep the animals out of shelters. We take back our returns, or beg people to continue to act as the foster home until it gets readopted. Returns can happen at any time and for any reason. With 5000 adoptions behind us, and a promise to take them back whenever can sometimes mean that we can get as many as 3-4 returns a week. Emergency foster homes are helpful, but are few and far between. Basically, our volunteers go 7 days a week and can you believe they ALL work full time jobs elsewhere on top of all of this? You can't find a more passionate, hardworking group of people ANYWHERE! Adopt an ANGEL volunteers are really the best!
To View an Adoption Fair in Progress, please click here.
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