My dog of many, many years recently passed away and I decided to adopt my new dog from the Wood River Animal Shelter. I was a little hesitant to go to the shelter because I thought the sight of so many dogs and cats without homes would make me sad. I decided to bite the bullet and go, figuring at least I could give one of the dogs a good home.
At the shelter, I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. Yes, I saw many dogs and cats that didn't have permanent homes, but I found that these animals had the next best thing. These dogs and cats had a loving temporary home, where they were well fed and extremely well taken care of. The staff at the shelter knew all the dogs by their names, and it was evident that they took great care of the animals. I also noticed the amount of people that came to the shelter to see the animals, whether they were looking for an animal to take home or just to walk the dogs or play with the cats. I saw dogs that were outside in the fresh air in huge play areas during the day, and then confined indoors at night. The indoor confinement may not be the great outdoors, but the runs were fairly large, I also found out that the shelter's veterinarian, Jo Anne Dixon, was my dog's vet until she stopped her public practice.
As for finding a dog, the staff could not have been more helpful. I was able to look at all of the dogs and then decide which ones I wanted to see. The staff happily went and got every dog I asked about. Once the animals arrived, I was free to hang out with them or take them for a walk. I could even have two come out at once so I could see how they got along. When I took the dogs for walks, I was given ample amounts of cookies to hand out. I was even told that I could take a dog home and see how it worked out before I made a decision. Knowing my mindset, that is one thing I couldn't do. I knew as soon as the dog got into my car that it was mine!
The shelter also has histories on many of the dogs and also keeps facts they notice about them. Thanks to these notes, you may have an idea of where they came from and also about their habits. If you are ever in want of an animal, or maybe you just want to play with some, go to the Wood River Animal Shelter. It's an amazing place.
Scott Slonim
Hailey
