Why We Don’t Participate In “CLEAR THE SHELTER” Events

Clear the shelves!

Clear the lot!

Clear the decks!

But, Clear the Shelter??

Since when did precious pets become a bargain commodity? We don’t think this is OK, and as long as I have any say in the matter, you won’t see marketing like this at HSWC. Here’s why:

- If we don’t place a high value on the animals in our care, why would anyone else?

- We invest a lot of money in these animals. While we cannot recoup all of our expenses through adoption fees, they do help greatly to offset them.

- It’s really not too much to ask that the adopter, who is receiving the value of this animal, be responsible for the cost. Shelters struggle to pay the bills as it is and our donors give their money to help animals, not to subsidize adoption fees for people who don’t want to pay..

- The simple, economic truth is that the average person will take better care of something they invest heavily in than something that was free or cheap.

- Staff needs time to approve applications. Landlords and Veterinary references should be called and verified. This is for the protection of the adopter.

- Time and thought needs to be put into which animals will make a good fit for the family, and this requires time to communicate with the adopter about current and past animals and any expectations they might have of a new pet.

- We won’t rush you through an adoption process. Once your application is approved, we will show you as many suitable animals as you’d like and give you time to think it over. We will patiently answer to the best of our ability every question you have.

- If, after our careful adoption process and post-adoption guidance, you decide it’s not a good match, you can return the pet for a refund within 30 days. We ALWAYS want our pets back if you can’t keep them, which should give you piece of mind.

In short, there are LOTS of places you can find bargains on pets this weekend, but if you are more concerned about making a good match than saving a few bucks, come see us at the Humane Society of Waupaca County.

And if you would like to donate to a shelter where the money goes to Operating costs instead of subsidizing adoption fees, we would like to have your support.