Adopt, Volunteer, Foster - A community comes together

Currently in its 135th year, the Lowell Humane Society is dedicated to providing care for homeless and distressed animals and educating the public in regards to proper animal care. Many residents have come to us with great sadness, forced to surrender their dogs and cats. Our dedicated staff and volunteers serve Lowell and surrounding communities a variety of programs and services: Sheltering Homeless Animals: Dogs, cats and small animals /reptiles / birds are primarily brought to the shelter by their owners, the majority who reside in Lowell. Stray or abandoned cats and small mammals found by caring individuals in the community are also surrendered to the shelter. We also accept dogs from local Animal Control Officers that have met their required hold and have not been claimed by their owners. When a pet is brought to the shelter for surrender, the staff collects information about the animal’s temperament and background. The animal’s behavior, temperament and health is assessed for adoption into a suitable home. This fiscal year we are already averaging 50 more animals per month being surrendered to the shelter. It is important for the residents of Lowell to have a place to turn to in times of need. Animal Care: Staff work 365 days per year to ensure animals residing at the shelter are cared for in the healthiest and most humane manner possible. The staff ensures all animals have proper bedding, toys and time to socialize and exercise each day to keep them mentally and physically healthy. Animals are fed nutritious food from Science Diet received through participation in the Science Diet Shelter Program. Volunteers play an essential part in caring for animals in the shelter. Volunteers provide walks, basic obedience training and outdoor playtime for dogs, and socializing of cats and small animals, which in turn makes the animal a better candidate for adoption. Animal Adoption: Our goal is to find a forever adoptive home for animals that are behaviorally and physically healthy. By providing quality care, nutrition, socializing and medical treatment, LHS helps its shelter animals to be healthy, happy and well-adjusted candidates for adoption, thus making the transition into a new home less stressful for the pet and adoptive family. Adoptable animals are sometimes kept by volunteers in home-based volunteer foster care. Foster homes provide temporary homes for our cats where they receive the care they need to grow, heal, and/or socialize in order to improve their chances of finding a new, loving forever-home. The Foster Care Program also allows more space for incoming homeless animals, especially during our high-volume seasons over the warmer months. In 2008, adoptions from Lowell Humane included: 124 dogs, 630 cats and 34 small animals. Quality Animal Medical Care: The shelter provides general vaccinations, blood testing for diseases such as Heartworm and Lyme disease in dogs, and Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus in cats, de-worming, topical flea/tick treatment and ear mite treatment if necessary. Additional necessary medical treatment is provided via partnerships with local veterinarians and “Angel Donors” who fund the medical expenses for specific animals. Each adoptable animal is implanted with a microchip before they go home with their new families to ensure permanent identification. Animals in need of grooming services are groomed by a staff member, skilled in grooming, or local groomers who donate their professional services. Spay and Neuter Services: The Lowell Humane Society works hard to spay/neuter all animals prior to adoption to reduce the numbers of unwanted animals in our community. We have working partnerships with 15 local veterinary practices as well as The Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society (MRFRS) Spay/Neuter Catmobile and the MSPCA at Nevins Farm, who generously discount veterinary services for spay and neuter surgeries, as well as minor medical treatments. The “Catmobile”, a mobile veterinary surgical unit, is hosted onsite by the LHS every week to provide subsidized spay and neuter services to companion animals whose owners may not be able to afford the normal rate for these procedures. Our access to quality and discounted veterinary care enables many more animals to be placed into new life-long homes and makes a positive impact on the companion animal overpopulation crisis. Information, Outreach and Referral Services: Staff educates the public about shelter services; animal medical and behavioral issues and pet care resources in person at the shelter, as well as at community events. We answer calls for stray/nuisance animals and wildlife questions/issues. Handouts and pamphlets on animal behavior and medical issues are provided to the public and all adopters. The Society’s website, www.lowellhumanesociety.org, features pets for adoption, and promotes animal related current events and resources for families of companions animals. The shelter also works with local print, television and media outlets on issues related to animal welfare and cruelty. Community outreach is an integral part of our mission as we seek to prevent animal cruelty and keep or place pets in responsible homes. The Lowell Humane Society conducts tours and visits to local youth groups, schools and civic organizations to discuss animal welfare and responsible pet ownership. The shelter also works in partnership with other area animal rescue groups and animal control officers to share resources, information and referrals. Over the last two years the staff has gone through a major transition and worked really hard to gain the support of the community. With the tools (refurbished laptops and desktops, software and virus protection) provided to us by Microsoft and Tech Soup, the Society has been able to expand some of its most important programs and services. We have used Publisher to create inviting and creative posters to draw in more volunteers and foster homes and our volunteers program has expanded 10x's in the last 6 months. Our foster program has also grown and has enabled us to care for over 70 kittens that are currently in the foster care system. We have used our computers to showcase our available animals on our web-site and to keep in close contact with our donors and supporters through e-newsletters and mailings. Because of the technology made available to us, we have been able to keep the community informed about our animals, our events and our needs. Without Tech Soup and Microsoft, the Lowell Humane Society would not be where we are today and the animals within the Greater Lowell community are in a better place thanks to them.