Green River Animal Control has seen an influx of cats and kittens this year, and the cat room has been overflowing. Animal control would like to encourage everyone to be a responsible pet owner. Keep track of where your cats are and if you have not seen them in a day or two please check with the animal shelter. Very few felines brought in have been reclaimed by their owners.
Out of 155 cats and kittens incoming since January, 45 were adopted, 34 transferred, and only 24 reclaimed by their owners.
The fact of the matter is, there are more unwanted cats and kittens than there are homes. Pet ownership is a big commitment and our pets depend on us to keep them safe.
As pet owners, it is our responsibility to vaccinate, spay or neuter, and keep track of our pets.
Failure to vaccinate not only poses health risks to our own animals it exposes healthy shelter animals to fatal diseases.
Did you know that one female cat and her kittens can lead to approximately 370,000 cats being born in seven years?
The decision to spay or neuter our pets is an important one for pet owners. It can be the single best decision we make for their long-term welfare.
For cats, the urge to spray is extremely strong in an intact cat, and the simplest solution is to get cats neutered or spayed by 4 months of age before there's even a problem. Neutering solves 90 percent of all marking issues, even in cats that have been doing it for a while. It can also minimize howling, and the urge to roam and fight with other males according to the Humane Society of the US.
In both cats and dogs the longer we wait the greater the risk we run of the surgery not working because the behavior is so ingrained.
A cat roaming around may seem normal, but they can become a nuisance. Cat owners must abide by city ordinance (6-21), Animal at Large. Allowing our cats to roam could pose risks, citizens may utilize live cat traps checked out by animal control to trap cats that enter their property. Any cat picked up in a trap is in violation of city ordinance, for nuisance animal and/or animal at large.
Green River Animal Control makes every effort to return stray or trapped cats back to their owners, but most cats don't have collars and are not chipped. Most of them end up being put up for adoption. Animal control prides itself on a very low euthanasia rate and makes every effort to home the animals that come into our shelter.
ACO Lydia Holmes has worked hard over the past several years to network with other shelters and rescues to transfer animals to and from, and eventually find homes. She has made several trips around Wyoming and Colorado saving lives.
This year, Holmes has tirelessly called and secured spots in rescues in Wyoming and Colorado and has transported more than 34 cats and kittens, and 14 dogs and puppies since January from our shelter.
Lydia has also seen overcrowding occurring in other shelters in Sweetwater County and while she was transferring cats and kittens from our shelter she took it upon herself to contact Rock Springs Animal Shelter and transported 20 cats and kittens from their shelter as well, driving them herself to a rescue in Colorado. The trips Lydia makes and some of the time she puts towards this cause is on her own time.
Our community is very fortunate to have someone like Lydia, who is very passionate and caring, and works so hard to save lives.
Green River Animal Control sponsors bi-annual vaccine clinics, spay/neuter clinics, and adoption events every year, all in an effort to make a difference in the health and safety of our pets. GRAC also has a medical fund set up to help cover medical costs for in need pets. Recently Science Diet donated $500 to the GR Animal Shelter to help in their efforts.
To visit pets currently up for adoption visit the Animal Shelter at 80 E Teton Blvd. 2-4 p.m. daily or visit https://www.petfinder.com/member/us/wy/green-river/green-river-animal-control-shelter-wy58/
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