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| - We recently adopted an amazing dog here. Previously I have adopted from the Nevada SPCA and I have also looked into other adoptions in the area, including specific breed rescues and Adopt a Rescue Pet. I ended up going here knowing that I would have a huge amount of dogs to choose from and would literally be saving a life (this is a kill shelter).
We met Smiley, a (reported) Shih Tzu mix that had been surrendered on December 22nd. He was incredibly sweet and calm, licking our hands and walking like a champ on the lead, ignoring other dogs or greeting them very politely. He smelled terrible, his fur was matted and his little face was filthy, and he was wearing a cone because he had recently been neutered! Poor little guy. Even through all that it was clear that he was a smart lil gentleman. We took him out of his kennel twice before deciding - the first time he was FREAKING OUT because he hadn't been out all day - and the second time he was a little calmer.
Some tips for potential owners:
1. Don't take everything the shelter says re: your potential dog as gospel. They're a larger shelter and often filled to capacity, and what the owners tell them at surrender can be next to nothing, so their guess can be as good as yours. Temperament outside of the shelter can also be incredibly different, so be prepared and gather as much information as you can. Smiley (now called Albie) was very calm in the shelter, but it was most likely because he was sick with kennel cough - which is very common in shelters with so many dogs close to each other & many of them previously unvaccinated. After a week of antibiotics, Albie was feeling MUCH better and his energy levels went way up (not in a bad way - he's a very good boy. He just actually plays now!) Also, although he was reportedly a "Shih Tzu mix," he's about 30lbs. I'd say maybe a Lhasa Apso/Spaniel mix more likely?
2. Keep your needs in mind and DON'T adopt something that you can't take care of, or fall in love with something that you can't have. I spent some time looking at pit bulls and larger dogs that I would love to adopt, but could never have realistically because of the discriminatory breed restrictions at my apartment complex. E.g. research what you're getting and don't adopt a Pointer mix if you never venture outside or go running. If you have other animals, keep them in mind. We settled on Albie because as a companion breed mix, he would likely have less of a prey drive and not go after our cat (which proved true).
3. Don't shy away from a kill shelter like this in favor of a no kill-shelter. Reading over the reviews, people delude themselves that a no-kill shelter is more humane than an operation like this one. The reality of the stray situation in Vegas makes a place like this necessary. There simply aren't enough people willing to adopt a rescue pet, donate, or keep this place funded to make keeping every dog or cat alive feasible. If that bothers you, volunteer, adopt, promote spaying/neutering & responsible animal ownership. The people who throw their animals aside after one behavioral problem or don't bother to bring it along when they move are what keeps the kill rate at this shelter so high.
No-kill shelters have their place, but we can't ignore that many animals in no-kill shelters spend their entire lives there confined to small cages, sitting in their own filth with little human interaction and often rife with contagious diseases that run through the entire shelter. There's a lack of resources there as well, just like in any shelter, and many pets are turned away because all the no-kill shelters I know are full to capacity. I refuse to believe that a life spent in a cage is more humane than being put down. The world is a harsh place, I'm just being honest here - and the way we treat animals is often unspeakably cruel. To turn away from a shelter like this and instead focus on a no-kill shelter is just closing your eyes & ignoring the problems in society, imo.
4. Take advantage of the free vet visits they offer you. VCA hospitals even cover certain conditions up to $500 if you adopt from the Foundation. They also offer VERY affordable rates for vaccinations at the Foundation itself.
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