ROAR On Giving Your Pet a 'Forever Home'

For the last three years, Brandi Morley has seenand  enter thewhere she is an Adoption Coordinator, working side by side with Shelter Director, , to find homes that they will be in forever.

“We love working here,” Morley said. “We definitely love helping out the community and finding cats and dogs."

Dotson said there is an increase in puppy adoption during the summer months, which she credits to the assumption that it is easier to train ain the summer.

“You definitely see patterns in terms of adoption,” Morley said.

If you are considering the adoption of a cat, dog, kitten or puppy, the ROAR staff  will help make your adoption from the shelter -- and the transition into the home -- smooth for bothand people.

The staff doesn't want to see a pet adopted out of the shelter and then be brought back for reasons that can be prevented.

‘We are hoping for animals not to have to go through trauma again,” Dotson said. “We know the animal has been through some sort of trauma already and we don’t want to have to see them go through the trauma of being back in a shelter after they’ve already transitioned into someone’s home.”

If the reason is that the owner cannot afford food for their pet, ROAR can provide that. ROAR accepts donations from the community and encourages people to bring pet food that they may have lying around the house, to the shelter. From its food pantry, ROAR donates to other shelters in the area, as well.

“We have a food pantry that we started in conjunction with the human food pantry,” Dotson said. “People bring us donated food all the time.”

The food pantry is available to pet owners all year round. Dotson believes that a lot of people don’t know about the and encourages pet owners who need food to stop in and get it.

“It expires, so we are always giving it out, and we are always looking for donations,” she said.

All of the animals at ROAR are fully vetted with . Adopters are sent home with a folder containing their new pet’s medical records, and if the pet that you are adopting is too young to be spayed or neutered, ROAR will provide you with a certificate that you can bring to your vet. With that certificate, no payment for the of your pet will be necessary.

ROAR even microchips dogs and puppies so that if the owner loses a pet, it can be found.

The one procedure that ROAR will not perform or encourage is the declawing of a cat.

“It is a highly painful procedure for cats to go through,” Dotson said.

Each dog and puppy that comes into the shelter is pre-screened by Dotson and Morley compatibility with children. They often take the dogs into a room with their own children to see how the dog or puppy reacts.

“We always recommend that people bring the family in to meet the dog at the shelter,” Dotson said.

For those who have an assumption about particular breeds, many of those assumptions can be wrong. In particular, the stigma that Pitt Bulls are violent is a stereotype that has long kept these out of homes and in shelters.

“Any dog can be dangerous,” Dotson said. “The thing with Pitt Bulls is they are a family-centered dog. They have been used for fighting, but that is not their original purpose”

Due to the false stigma, such as Pitt Bulls, Boxers, Boston Terriers and American Bull Dogs may cause insurance companies to decline coverage. If adopting one of these dogs, be sure that this is not a circumstance that would cause you to bring the animal back to a shelter.

Lastly, if you are worried about separating siblings who might live in a shelter together, don’t. Dotson explained that ROAR does not adopt siblings out together. The reason for this is that when two siblings become dependent on each other, their owners become less important to them, according to Dotson.

ROAR stopped adopting out siblings together in 2009 when they noticed an increase in returns.

“On average we would get a call saying that one is more sociable and the other is not,” Dotson said. "In some cases siblings can develop rivalries and challenge each other more than non-siblings would."

If you are ready for the commitment of adopting a pet and welcoming one into your home, here are a few that you may want to consider:

Party Carl: He is a dog who has been at ROAR for a while, due to his shy personality. He can be afraid of humans and can use a patient owner who will teach him that people don’t bite.

Mokie: Mokie is a Shepard who is ten years old. Mokie is currently in a foster home because he did not adapt well to being in a shelter environment after being in a loving home for so many years.

Calypso: Calypso is a cat who does not like other cats but loves humans. He is best for a family who wants an affectionate cat but does not have any other pets.

For more information, call: 203-438-0158.