Tuesday, May 4
May 4, 2010Thursday, May 6
May 6, 2010Woofs and meows fill the air at the Lafourche Parish Animal Shelter.
But even though these cats and dogs currently live behind bars in a kennel, they wag their tails and appear to orchestrate chants of joy rather than sorrow.
That could be because of the hard work and love that shelter clerk Kelli Toups and her staff give to these unfortunate animals whose lives have taken a fortunate turn of events.
“If you do lose your pet you can contact us or if you’re looking for a pet we have animals here that are up for adoption,” she said.
The shelter asks adopters to make small donations, and it accepts donations from the general public as well.
“We ask for food, toys, blankets and anything to help the animals have a good life while they’re here,” said Toups. “Any kind of way anybody in the parish can help out would be wonderful.”
But if you’re an animal lover in the community, Toups said donating time would be beneficial to the animals in the shelter also.
“A lot of people come here as volunteers, and they ask to socialize animals, bathe animals, or feed them. They’re welcome to do that, too,” she said. “We normally do the feeding and cleaning in the morning. When that’s done, in the afternoon we do a lot of the socializing.”
Although Toups said the shelter is only required to hold stray animals for five days, she said the shelter rarely practices euthanization.
In fact, she said the shelter once held a dog for three months before it was adopted, and they currently have been holding a golden laboratory retriever for about a month.
As part of Be Kind to Animals Week across the nation, Toups would like to remind Lafourche Parish residents that a total of 15 dogs and 20 cats are currently up for adoption.
“Most of the animals that come through here are strays running around on the streets so they either have no home or they once had a home and are looking for a good home,” she said.
But Toups added each animal is thoroughly screened to make sure that no diseased animals are put up for adoption.
The shelter also accepts owner surrenders, animals that can no longer be taken care of by their current owner.
But for Lafourche Parish residents who happily own a cat or a dog, the shelter hasn’t forgotten about those little critters as well.
The shelter offers vouchers granting $50 off to Lafourche Parish residents wishing to neuter their animals through a Lafourche Parish veterinarian.
“You wouldn’t even have to come into our office,” said Toups. “Give us a call. We’ll take down some basic information, and we’ll fax the voucher over to the vet the morning of the appointment.”
Toups also implores pet owners to place a microchip or a collar on their pets so in case she does have to see them at the shelter, the animal can be quickly and easily returned to its owner.
Anyone interested in adoption an animal or giving a helping hand can contact Toups at the Lafourche Parish Animal Shelter at (985) 446-3532.
