More area pets finding new homes

Victoria Cowper smiles every time she adds one more animal to the list of those her staff has saved.

This year, she's had a lot to smile about.

So far this fiscal year, the Yuma County Humane Society has adopted out more than 1,000 animals, including 739 dogs and 272 cats. That represents an increase of 18 percent from the same time the previous fiscal year last July."I think it's the best feeling in the world,' said Cowper, the executive director of the humane society, of adopting out an animal. "It just makes you smile.'

For Cowper and her staff, the fun has increased every month with each person seeing a higher number of animals adopted out then did the month prior.

She said the humane society has also started working with organizations in other part of the state to relocate Yuma animals to bigger markets where they are most likely to be adopted and where there is more room to house the animals.

A group of small-breed dogs was recently sent to a Phoenix shelter, where there is a big demand for the dogs, according to Cowper. She said her staff will also begin working with a shelter out of California with a similar program.

"The purpose is to saves animal's life one at a time,' she said. "Wherever that's going to happen.'

As her staff continues to work at saving animals, she said they are also dealing with the reality that not all can be saved.

So far this fiscal year, the humane society has had to euthanize more than 1,400 healthy adoptable animals, she said.

That, she said, is the worst feeling in the world.

"Because the reality is there are more pets than people,' she said. "It's not something we like to do.'

Still, even in that somber number is the fact that it has not increased much from the previous year, Cowper said, adding a larger number of volunteers have helped greatly in pairing people with animals.

Cowper said her staff is trained to match people with the pet that is best for them and best fits their lifestyle.

"You should have a general idea of what it is you are looking for,' she said. "A good couch potato dog is an older Lab.'

The challenge of adopting out animals comes in educating the general public to the quality of animals her facility houses. She said the great majority of her animals are grateful when they are rescued.

"I have this weird philosophy that they know they are with somebody that has gone out of their way to get them,' she said. "They know they have a second chance.'

Anyone wanting additional information on how to go about adopting an animal is asked to call the humane society at 782-1621.

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Louie Villalobos can be reached at lvillalobos@yumasun.com or 539-6858.