Adopt-A-Thon scheduled

Finding the love of your life or meeting your new best friend might be just as easy as driving to the Humane Society of Putnam County.

Right now with 60 cats and 30 dogs, the humane society is overfilled with animals and the worst part is that animals are still scheduled to be dropped off through September, said humane society volunteer Lainie Settecasi. She said there have been too many surrenders and strays.

This is why the humane society will be having an Adopt-A-Thon on Aug. 25, 26 and 27.

The Adopt-A-Thon is a faster way to help these animals find homes, but the only way to fix this growing problem is for people to be educated and informed.

"The real solution is spay/neuter," Settecasi said.

Yet, right now these animals need homes. Kennel assistant/volunteer Monica Sargent said one dog has been there for four months now.

People don't even have to come to the Adopt-A-Thon to help out. The humane society is asking for people to sponsor different animals. For example, if someone just got a new puppy and doesn't have the ability to take on another pet, that person can donate money toward any animal they choose and they will in turn be helping out another person who might not be able to afford a pet without that financial help.

"You're still helping an animal find a home," Sargent said.

As well as accepting sponsorships, the humane society will be offering other discounts as well. There will be senior citizen discounts, some animals will be 50 percent off and there will also be two for one deals on other animals.

Plus the humane society offers many other benefits to adopting a pet from them. Any animal chosen for adoption will have been spayed or neutered or have a certificate to get that done, Sargent said. She also mentioned that if someone found a stray along the street, the spay/neuter cost at a veterinary clinic alone would be $100.

The humane society will also have given each animal its first round of shots, a certificate to have a free veterinary examination in three business days, cats will have been tested for AIDS and leukemia, and dogs will have been heartworm tested and be given heartworm medicine. There will also be free micro chipping for dogs with their adoption at the Adopt-a-Thon.

The volunteers from the humane society said they want to make sure each adoption is a perfect match, but they won't break their adoption guidelines to do that.

"All of our adoption criteria will still be in place," Settecasi said.

Yet, she said if someone does not want to adopt or sponsor a pet the humane society still needs volunteers. And if someone still doesn't even want to do that, she said that people should just come out to the Adopt-A-Thon. The volunteers want people to just come out and visit the humane society if they have never done so before. There is even going to be free food and door prizes at the Adopt-A-Thon.

Plus, as Sargent said, people may just find their dog or cat that they thought would be lost forever when they look around the humane society at all the different animals.

Most of all, the humane society just wants to give each one of these animals a loving home.

"Our goal on Sunday night at 6 p.m. is to have no animals in our shelter," Settecasi said.

The Humane Society of Putnam County's Adopt-A-Thon will be Friday, Aug. 25 from 12-8 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 26 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday Aug. 27 from noon-6 p.m.

The humane society is located at 4700 E SR 240 in Greencastle. For more information, call 653-5739.

The Humane Society of Putnam County does reserve the right to refuse any application.