By Caitlin Hendricks

Hard working board members, volunteers, dog walkers and community members shared a vision. It was a vision of a more modern, no-kill animal shelter. The new Roice-Hurst Humane Society has accomplished that and then some. With a building nearly 20 years newer than the last, it has attained many desired resources to shelter our community’s orphaned animals. One of the better things about the new shelter is its location. Now located off of 28 Road and D Road, it is much closer to town.

One of the biggest challenges of the old shelter was having enough space for all of the animals. The new facility offers enclosed kennels for dogs raising the shelter’s capacity to 36 dogs and multiple outdoor areas for pet viewing. The new facility also has a lovely walking trail, which is still under construction, and is frequented by dogs and their volunteer walkers. Roice-Hurst also has three new rooms all dedicated to our feline friends, which divide the cats by temperament. Two rooms offer lovely large windows for cats to lie on high perches and bird watch, or nap on those warm drowsy afternoons. The new facility also offers a more modern vet tech room and nicer grooming room.

While the new facility is brighter and more modern, it is not the goal of the shelter to make the animals comfortable for life. All of the animals are meant to become new members of caring families. Many of the animals come from families that for one reason or the other cannot keep their beloved pets with them anymore and need permanent homes. For some reason, more dogs are adopted than cats, and kittens and puppies are always in higher demand.

Mary Ann and Bob Denney, two retired volunteers from Roice-Hurst, recently adopted a 9-month-old kitten named Cassidy from the shelter. They had their eye on a few of the older cats because they had a gentler personality, but those cats were adopted before they could scoop them up.

“She chose us,” said Mary Ann. “She had such a sweet, gentle temperament and wasn’t a lot of trouble.”

The Dennys said their time spent socializing with the cats in the shelter gave them the perfect opportunity to spend time with all of the cats before adopting Cassidy.

Cassidy is one of the fortunate animals that got a new home. Many other pets have a difficult time getting adopted. The Roice-Hurst shelter is a no-kill facility meaning that the pets can live there until they die if necessary. But no one wants that!

One of the greatest reasons to adopt a senior pet is that they are already potty trained. Other reasons include they already have their own personalities established and are most likely less stress than puppies or kittens.

The most rewarding thing about adopting a senior pet is “saving a life from a shelter existence,” said Board President Julie Butherus.

The new shelter offers so much for our future pets, but they still need a lot to keep running. The shelter gets no government funding and relies solely on private donations and volunteer efforts.

Butherus said one of the problems facing the new shelter is the need for storage units for equipment and kennels, but the biggest is compassion and adoption for the animals. Almost all summer long, the shelter has been to capacity, and has had a long waiting list of animals that pet owners cannot keep.

Before adopting a pet, consider the reason you want to adopt a pet. Don’t forget that pets may be with you for 20 years or so. Make sure you are able to keep one. Are you renting? If so, does your landlord allow pets? Moving is one of the main reasons that pets are given to Roice-Hurst. Also, do you have time for a pet? Many breeds at Roice-Hurst require lots of exercise. Does the pet you’re looking at fit your lifestyle? Make sure you can afford a pet. The costs of feeding and vet expenses can become costly.

There are many other factors to consider, and the staff at Roice-Hurst can help you decide. Give them a call at 434-7337, or visit them at their new location at 362 28 Rd. Seniors receive a 20 percent discount on all adoption fees.

Top 10 reasons to adopt a senior dog

By Roice-Hurst Humane Society

Can be found online at: www.rhhumanesociety.com

1. Older dogs are usually housetrained. You won’t have to go through the difficult stages of teaching a puppy house manners and mopping up after accidents.
2. Older dogs are not teething puppies, and won’t chew your shoes and furniture while growing up.
3. Older dogs can focus well because they’ve mellowed. Therefore, they learn quickly.
4. Older dogs have learned what “no” means. If they hadn’t learned it, they wouldn’t have gotten to be “older” dogs.
5. Older dogs settle in easily, because they’ve learned what it takes to get along with others and become part of a pack.
6. Older dogs are good at giving love, once they get into their new, loving home. They are grateful for the second chance they’ve been given.
7. What you see is what you get. Unlike puppies, older dogs have grown into their shape and personality. Puppies can grow up to be quite different from what they seem at first.
8. Older dogs are instant companions. They are ready for hiking, car trips and other things you like to do.
9. Older dogs leave you time for yourself, because they don’t make the kinds of demands on your time and attention that puppies and young dogs do.
10. Older dogs let you get a good night’s sleep because they’re accustomed to human schedules and don’t generally need nighttime feedings, comforting or bathroom breaks.

Photo Gallery

Roice-Hurst Humane Society pets