Adopt a Shelter Dog month in Minnesota

All right, it turns out that October is Adopt-a-Shelter Dog Month, and right now we've got hundreds of dogs that are just waiting for a new home here and a second chance in the Twin Cities. And they're looking for any kind of home, right, to welcome these dogs into those homes. And here to talk more about the importance of adoption is Jackie McCullough with the Animal Humane Society. And you've got a special friend there, Jackie. Introduce that little guy to us. Yeah, this is my friend, Quest. He's a six-month-old blue heeler. He's loving it on my lap right now, but don't be fooled. He's got lots of energy. He is a fun-loving pup, and he is about ready for his new home. All right, Jackie, back up. Six months old? That's a big dog. my goodness yeah he will definitely fill out a little bit um but you know he's actually i feel like a great size um as you can see he does fit on my lap uh maybe when he gets a little older not so much but um he's gonna be a great size dog for a variety of families oh my goodness he's so lovable and and so gentle i can tell there right all right this is important because um What you're doing when you adopt a dog like this, as opposed to going to a breeder, there's a lot of benefits by adopting a little guy there like Quest, right? Yeah, we have lots of dogs like Quest in our care that are waiting for their fresh start. When you adopt a dog instead of purchasing from a breeder, not only are you helping the dog that you adopt that is in need of a home but you're also opening up another space so that animal humane society can help another dog in need and of course our dogs are going to be sterilized you know either spayed or neutered and they'll be fully vaccinated as well so you're getting a dog that's totally ready to go whereas you might not get those benefits with a breeder how many do you have that are available for adoption right now, Jackie? We have around 100 to 150 across our three locations. So surely there is a pet available for you. When you come in to adopt, we can help you find that perfect match. So give us some perspective. Is that a lot? It is a lot. And you know, that's not, those are just the animals that are available for adoption. We actually have close to 400 animals in our care that are waiting for maybe their spay or neuter surgery. Maybe they need other medical procedures or other things down the pipeline that we want to make sure they're ready to go home and have a successful adoption as well. And give us some perspective as to how easy this can be. It's very easy. I always recommend starting on the website of course before you come in you can already see all of the pets that we have for adoption at animalhumanesociety.org and then once you come in like i said we have three locations so you can visit a shelter near you and our staff and volunteers will help you pick out the perfect pet for you they'll go through all of their medical and background information and you can even purchase pet supplies on site, which is really great to kind of cut a step out, as you will. So Jackie, I have to believe you've got some great stories about people who've come into the shelter there, and where it's literally love at first sight. They see an animal there, and there's almost an instant bond or instant connection between the caregiver and the animal and it's like a match made in heaven so to speak absolutely you know we see it every day we're doing adoptions all the time and have so many happy tales of people who just find the pet that is right for them that they can bond with and you know of course there are circumstances where if you need some assistance ahs is here to help with that as well we have a lot of resources for new pet owners that might be trying to train their pets, work on potty training, or any behavior issues that come up. We want to be there for you, and we can help you through that process as well. And I have to say this. It can make such a difference in people's lives. My oldest daughter adopted a dog within the past year and a half, and that dog has been one of the best things that's ever happened for my daughter and and likewise Maddie is the best thing that ever happened for for this dog you know the hero is her name and and she was abused and Maddie's had to work with her a lot and she's just turned into a wonderful wonderful companion for her and again a perfect match because they take care of each other. And the power of a pet to do that is quite extraordinary. And again, it speaks to what they can do, but also how easy you can make that match happen at the Animal Humane Society. Absolutely. And we hear so many stories of how people are affected so positively by having an animal in their life, whether it just be the simple companionship of an animal, getting outside more. There's all kinds of benefits to bringing a pet into your life, whether it's a dog, cat, or critter. And so this National Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, we really hope that you will welcome a dog into your life and check out the benefits for yourself. All right, Jackie, give us the website one more time where people can go to to check out a potential new home pet. AnimalHumaneSociety.org will have all of our available dogs, cats, and critters. And you can also find information on volunteering, fostering, and of course, making a donation if you are unable to take a pet home today. All right, wonderful, Jackie. Jackie McCullough from the Animal Humane Society along with her new best friend, Quest, there. Let's get Quest a home, right? Yeah, lovable little guy there. All right. Thanks, Jackie. We're going to come back with more on Alde here in a moment.