‘Clear the shelter’ and house a furry friend

It’s National Clear the Shelter Month, and with dozens of little furry friends looking for a home, the Saipan Mayor’s Office Dog Control Program and the Saipan Humane Society are partnering up to make pet adoption more feasible the next two weeks.

Starting this week until Sept. 10, anyone who goes to the animal shelter in As Perdido to adopt a dog will receive a goodie bag. The goodie bag is full of essentials like a collar, leash, poop bags, a portable water bowl, and food. The items can be picked up immediately at the dog control shelter upon adoption.

In a conversation with SHS founder and president Lauren Cabrera, she said that alongside the goodie bag, adopters can bring their new pal over to SHS’ clinic in Garapan clinic for a free Seresto collar, which will provide eight months of protection against fleas, ticks, and mange. And should the owners want it, the adopted pets will also be guaranteed a spot in SHS’ upcoming spay/neuter clinic in October, with a $25 discount for the procedure.

“Basically, it was National Dog Day this week and it’s also National Clear the Shelter Month across the country,” said Cabrera. “Animal shelters are trying to incentivize people to adopt instead of buying or breeding dogs because there’s already so many dogs that need a home and they’re wonderful. So that’s what we’re doing here.”

Cabrera added a heartfelt thank you to the Banfield Foundation for generously donating the collars to ensure that pets in the community get the best start with their new families.

As of now SHS has over 15 dogs up for adoption.

“Right now, there are two very, very healthy young puppies. And then there’s about like 10 or 15 adult dogs as well, that are really friendly. We evaluate their behavior to make sure they’re not going to be dangerous dogs.”

She added that with so many dogs coming to the shelter they do have a variety that will hopefully appeal to individuals looking for a certain type of dog.

“All the dogs up for adoption have been dewormed. If they’re on the adoption row they have been dewormed and they’ve had flea tick medicine already.”

Dog Control Program manager Martin Pangelinan encourages the community in adopting a pet at the shelter.

“Our pets at the shelter have been rescued and cared for, with the hope that they will find a forever home where they can provide love and companionship,” he said, adding the adage “From shelter to a home their journey begins.”

He added, “We would like to inform the community that the Dog Control Program has revised its hours of operation to include Saturdays from 7:30am to 4:30pm. Therefore, the Dog Control Program hours of operation are from Monday through Saturday, 7:30am-4:30pm.”

Cabrera added that this would be very helpful for those who may not be able to stop by the shelter during weekdays. She also added that she would like the community to know if anyone is missing their dog, try checking the shelter.

“If their dog goes missing, they should come to the shelter because I think a lot of people just assume their dog got poisoned and sometimes, they’re here. We do get a lot of dogs in the shelter that have collars. Sometimes we’ll post them on social media and hope the owner sees. But the dogs, some of them are missing their owners. So, if your dog was missing, come check here. And just remember that if you have a dog, either tie them up or keep them contained because you don’t want them to be like a road hazard or a danger to the community or hurt themselves.”