don't forget the cats!  (by: King Willy  -   7/28/2011)

My wife and I have adopted two cats from the humane society here in Highlands county. They are a great felines and were very happy to be rescued. Willy now owns our house and Nina is the princess of the couch. Wonderful animals from a wonderful shelter.
I encourage everyone to adopt an animal if you can afford it and if you can't think about donating a bag of dog or cat food, kitty litter and even toys.

Humane Society  (by: Kalos  -   7/24/2011)

One problem that people have about adopting dogs is the responsibility of when they want to go somewhere and it is not feasible to take their dog, it is so difficult to find someone to care for their dog or boarding is so expensive they cannot afford it. The Humane Society, should consider adding temporary boarding a a small cost for situations like that and they may end up with more adoptions.

Adoption costs  (by: Crazy Dog Lady  -   7/23/2011)

The cost may seem high, but if you really look into it, the animals come vaccinated, spayed or neutered, and treated for fleas. The average cost to spay or neuter an animal is $50 to $175, rabies vaccines alone cost at least $25, and a dose of Frontline flea preventative is $16. The shelter also offers obedience training with the adoption of a dog. So if you actually add it all up, it is cheaper to adopt a dog from the Humane Society than it is to get a "free dog" from an ad in the paper.

pet adoption  (by: kia  -   7/23/2011)

i have 3 dogs, 3 cats and 2 birds. they were all "rescued" babies and they are the most delightful companions! I have paid a lot of money to adopt some of them, but it has all been worth it! if i didn't have a "full house" already, i would be willing to take care of more. kudos, to our humaine society!

What a Blessing!!  (by: Maria  -   7/23/2011)

We adopted Maggie (formerly Hope) earlier this year and she has become a wonderful member of our family! We are not sure what breed she is but it really doesn't matter cuz she fits right in with our environment. The price we paid for her was worth every penny. The folks at the Humane Society are awesome to work with.

Reply to Toni  (by: Melissa F.  -   7/23/2011)

The adoption fees for these animals are some of the lowest around. It is not that the people at the shelter are not humane, not wanting to place animals in homes. It is the fact that alot of people really do not understand what it takes to operate a shelter like this. The initial cost when people drop oiff animals or leave them ties to the gate is about what it costs to adopt. That does not include labor, feeding, or take into account how long the animal is there. If you look at the cost to get intital vaccinations done at a veterinarian, you will see that the cost to adopt an animal for the shelter is a lot less than if they were to give it to you for free and have you take it to the vet. It is a deal for any animal lover.

Humane Society Pet Adoptions  (by: Happy Adoptive Pet Lady  -   7/23/2011)

Like many retirees, our first pet after retirement was a wonderful (and very expensive) purebred. When she died, we were heartbroken. When we were able to think about a new pet, we went first to the Humane Society where we found a young adult animal that was amazingly friendly...and beautiful! We adopted her. Now I wonder why we ever thought that the breed of an animal was so important to us. What we really loved and wanted was the friendly, affectionate behavior.

Expense?? or Savings??  (by: Pup's mommy  -   7/22/2011)

The residents of Highlands county are very fortunate to have a local humane society with a dedicated staff & group of volunteers to care for so many wonderful animals while they are waiting for their forever homes. With that care naturally comes some expense. Many folks in our community are abandoning their pets because they can not afford to properly care for them. Which means, unfortunatly, they arrive at the shelter hungry & needing medical attention. Food, medications, spade & neurting , etc., all cost money.... at our house or the shelter. I applaud and thank the satff & volunteers for the care they give each and every animal they are able to care for, not to mention many who donate supplies and money.
We recently got our new family member from them. I was glad to pay the very nominal fee they charge for adopting a dog. When you consider he was in good medical condition, neutered, microchipped so if he ever gets lost he will be returned safely. All expenses I would have occured if I got a dog from a friend or found one walking up the street.
Pets are a wonderful addition to our family! Just as with children, there is a responsibility involved, and yes an investment of money. Just think of it this way, at least you won't have to pay thousands of dollars for college!!
With that savings, lets all buy a couple bags for food for the humane society!!

A Humane Place  (by: Livnlearn  -   7/22/2011)

The Humane Society is great. They have a real attitude of "make do" with what they have and save the animals.
Donate what you can.

Cost of Adoption  (by: 40 paws  -   7/22/2011)

Toni, First, we do do not make money of any our our animals. We rarely recoup our cost. We receive no funding other than donations. How does lowering our adoption fees help us to better manage our expenses?As we adopt, we take in. Most animals come to us in need of vaccines, spay/neutering, worming, and all have to be tested. All of this cost $$$. We also have electric, phone, medicine, staff, cleaning supplies,maint. and repair, and many more expenses. There is more to operating the shelter than buying dog food.

My 2 cents  (by: GT  -   7/22/2011)

If you cann't afford the initial cost how will you feed and take the animal to the vet when needed? There's no free animal! Keep up the good work.

suggestion  (by: Bailee  -   7/22/2011)

Here are a few suggestions that I think might help
1: If there is a known purebred dog,contact thats breeds rescue in the area/state
2. A website would help also..
3. Set up a Facebook page this has helped so many dogs get adopted..

  (by: secret  -   7/22/2011)

Honestly $125 dollars to adopt a dog is not expensive. The dog comes fixed, up to date on all shots, and microchipped. If you were to do this all on your own expense it would cost well over $125. They make NO profit off adopting dogs. They are simply trying to get some of the money back so they can continue to take in animals.
I think it is a great idea to adopt animals from the Humane Society or any other animal rescue. These dogs know they have been "rescued" and are always willing to please thier owner. My dog I got from a rescue is the best dog I could ask for.

Great job  (by: Karen  -   7/22/2011)

Thank god for this place. The economy has made a lot of animals homeless and there are some wicked people out there that abuse animals. I wish I could take more, I would. I have 2 dogs and a cat, all from the humane society. Keep up the good work

Consider adopting  (by: Sadie's Momma  -   7/22/2011)

I would highly recommend adopting a pet from the shelter. We have done so and it has been a WONDERFUL experience. Our dog had also lived at the shelter nearly her whole life-similar to pet mentioned in this article- and in spite of that, she came well trained, highly socialized and has been a great addition to the family. Her excellent behavior and demeanor made the transition into our home nearly effortless-which was a very pleasant surprise. We can't believe no one else ever adopted her because she is just such a great dog. If you are considering buying/adopting a pet, please check out the Humane Society first. It's a very affordable way to meet your new best friend!

Balance expense with cost of adoption  (by: Toni  -   7/22/2011)

The real problem with adopting one of these animals is the costs to do so. I believe if the operators of these kennels are truly humane, they would care more about placing these animals in a good home, rather than trying to make money off of them. I realize they need to recoup costs, but they also need to decide to weigh the expense of shelter. If they could place these animals in a good home, they could manage expenses better. They really need to lower the cost of adoption to do this.