Sweet Paws Changes Valentine's Day

This past weekend the Moreno Valley Animal Shelter held its Valentine’s Day adoption event. Beginning on Friday, February 14 and continuing through Sunday, February 16 this event offered families looking to add a furry companion to their family the chance to do just that. Shelter Supervisor Steve Fries was on hand to talk about where these animals came from. He shares, "most of these animals are strays brought in by our animal control officers or people.” After being rescued, they are given an identification number, for tracking purposes, as well as a date that denotes when the animal arrived and when they are available for adoption. This second date is always a few days later, so that the animal care technicians have time to look them over, give them vaccinations, and be sure that the animal is healthy before adoption. Not all the animals are brought in this way though; some are donated from companies such as PetSmart for events such as this one. Dogs that are brought in as strays are tested for prior human contact. According to Animal Care Technician Johnny Dunn, this is done in a very simple manner; "we use basic commands such as sit" as a way to see if a dog has had prior contact with humans. If they respond to the commands, then the odds are high that the dog has been around humans at some point. Most of the time, however, Dunn claims they do not respond. Dunn also explained that many of the animals brought in are frightened and nervous; this lasts a few days and they are typically calm around the third or fourth day. This is another reason why the animals are not available for adoption for a few days after being brought in as they need time to relax. Guests who are looking to adopt can also spend time with the animal in the conference room, also referred to as the “get-to-know-them” room by Animal Care Technician Adriana Bitonti. Here, guests can meet their prospective pet in person and the animal can wander around freely. Sometimes it is given a toy to play with as well. This allows the potential owners the chance to observe the animal’s behavior and decide if they want to proceed with filling out the adoption paperwork. Once they make a decision, the papers are turned in and they wait to be told if they can return to pick the animal up and take it home. For some, such as Vanessa Vega, this is their first time adopting from a shelter. Staff Member Jasmine Armstead shared that on the second day of the event, her and her co-workers helped 41 animals, cats and dogs, find homes. And while this event only lasted for a weekend, Steve Fries revealed that "we will hold a similar event next month." He did not mention what the occasion would be, but those who are looking to find a furry friend for their home should be on the lookout for it.