Quote Originally Posted by tokolosh View Post
I guess this is my major reason for thinking a shelter or the SPCA is actually a better option than canvassing around among friends if I personally needed to re-home a cat. ....... It's just too bad it isn't feasible to ask a donation or fee for taking someone's cat and caring for it until it gets a new home - the service they provide is so valuable and they're taking it on. But I can only imagine that would deter a lot of people and lead to more 'dumps'.
The only reason I would not take my cats to the shelter is this area is generally high kill. This is practice in the Southern rural areas where animals are viewed as property. I live on the county border and visit the shelter in the county where I work. They try not to kill but do not always have that option.

There is a surrender fee at any ACS in our area. And if your animal is lost, you have to prove it has been to a vet and up-to-date on shots or there is a hefty fine plus cost of vaccinations in order to claim it.

This does lead to dumping. Sadly

I'm sorry to hear about that the shelter in your description. I've been to shelters that worked the same way and they ended up being a high kill shelter.

However, the adoption area in the ACS is very clean and you are allowed to take cats out of the cage and hold them. There are always personnel around. You can touch more than one cat during a visit. I know there is an enclosed dog park to walk the dog so I assume you can get a dog out of the cage, too.

The pets are not allowed out of the hospital building until healthy, which probably helps.

This is a new facility and I think it's great. I have given wet cat food for seniors a few times.

I should probably go visit the facility in the county where I live, but it's actually further than the city where I work.

We have very few vets in the area that give you a break on spaying and neutering. Only ACS and Humane Society and one doctor do that. Another traveling vet does it also. So lots of kits and pups are born.

We need a good TNR program.

And vets only take in strays that they find.