Adams County Pet Rescue: Getting pets ready for new homes
Adams County Pet Rescue/courtesy photo Ellie Sarabia checks Mike’s weight during his regular exam. Mike is approximately 2 months old and lost his eye, which may have ruptured from an infection. He is looking for a good home.
OTHELLO — You found a stray animal and you’re not sure what to do with it.
Fortunately, Adams County Pet Rescue is there to help. Their job is to give the animals a safe home until parents can be found for them.
And there is a specific process to that, as well.
“When cats and dogs come in, there is a form to fill out,” Ellie Sarabia, ACPR employee, said. “Then they get crated and sent to intake.”
Sarabia, who is from Othello, is one of the staff members responsible for the intake procedure. It’s her job to check the animal’s behavior and give a complete physical, including a dental and weight check, along with assessing the animal’s ability to stand.
From there a new sign-in sheet is created that includes a shot record and all forms are put into the animal’s file. The animal is then treated for mites and worms and given a bath. Puppies also have their temperatures checked and kittens are looked at for ringworm, a fungal infection common in cats, and given a treatment if needed.
If Sarabia finds any issues, a vet from Sagehills Veterinary Services is called.
“After their bath, we set them up in their own space,” Sarabia said. “Healthy cats can be spayed or neutered at two pounds.”
They can be adopted once they have reached 2 months of age.
Sarabia said there are two types of animals they see. They either were strays or owner surrenders, which means the owners found themselves unable to care for the animals.
At the current time, the shelter is at capacity with almost 100 cats and just as many dogs. With kittens, someone local either wants them or they are sent to PetSmart, which helps adopt cats on the west side of the state.
In the meantime, Pet Rescue could use donations of certain items.
“Kitten and puppy food,” Sarabia said. “We can also use durable toys for both cats and dogs, but our main need is food.”
It is suggested that you contact the shelter to see what brands of food they currently need.
ACPR can also use no-spill bowls. They prefer heavier porcelain bowls for cats because they can’t knock them over as easily.
Pet Rescue employs about a dozen people. They also utilize a variety of volunteers, including those who have community service hours to fulfill or groups of teens from the high school who need volunteer hours.
“Not too long ago, groups of girls from Connell and Basin City came in to do a school project,” Kyya Grant, director of ACPR, said.
They are also in desperate need of foster parents to bottle feed and potty train babies. They also accept donations of blankets and towels. And, of course, they can always use monetary donations.
Adams County Pet Rescue is located at 1961 Bench Road near the fairgrounds. Hours are noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The facility is closed Mondays and Thursdays.
To contact ACPR, call 509-488-5514 or email adopt@AdamsCountyPetRescue. Be sure to visit the website at www.adamscountypetrescue.com and like their Facebook page.
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