Happenings At Local Shelters And Rescues

by Barry KuKes

Here are a few updates regarding the local animal welfare institutions in the greater Daytona Beach area. The Halifax Humane Society, located at 2364 LPGA Blvd., Daytona Beach, has relocated its Redinger Spay/Neuter Clinic from the Mason Avenue location to the building just west of the main campus building on LPGA, which is now the Lee C and Patricia Culler Pet Resource Center. This building previously housed the boarding and grooming center, which has been permanently closed. Many boarding and grooming centers are available in the Daytona Beach area, but there are very few options for spay/ neuter services. Moving the spay/ neuter clinic to this new location makes perfect sense. For more information or to book an online appointment to have your pet altered, visit https://www.hali faxhumanesociety.org/spay-neuter- clinic/index

Halifax also opened a dog and cat adoption center (side by side) at the Volusia Mall. Located near the JC Penney anchor store location, these satellite locations for adoptions are convenient and offer play areas so potential adopters can interact and get acquainted with their new best friend.

In other animal shelter news, Edgewater Animal Shelter, located at 605 Mango Tree Dr., Edgewater, still offers end-of-life services for pet owners who need to help their pets cross over the rainbow bridge. Due to staffing challenges, Halifax no longer provides this service, but you can schedule an appointment at Edgewater, and they allow you to stay with your pet during the procedure.

Southeast Volusia Humane Society, located at 1200 S Glencoe Rd., New Smyrna Beach, also offers end-of-life services by appointment only, but owners cannot stay with their pets during the procedure. They have a lovely room where you can say goodbye to your pet and send them off with love. The cost for end-of-life services at Edgewater and Southeast Volusia varies depending on the services, but these are low-cost options for pet owners. Cremation, burial, and other options are also available at both shelters.

Sophie’s Circle & Pawsibilities Rescue Group are rescue groups dedicated to finding animals their forever homes. These organizations are foster-based, meaning the animals they are trying to place are staying in foster homes, not in a shelter environment. Both always need more foster homes. Sophie’s offers a pet food pantry for those struggling to feed their pets. They also need pet food donations to help the less fortunate. For more info, visit www. sophie scircle.org or www.pawsrescue.net

Does your pet need training? Both Edgewater and Pawsibilities offer group or individual dog training classes. If you adopted your dog from the shelter, there is a discount, and in some cases, the training is free. Visit the websites listed above for more information.

If you are on a tight budget and did not adopt from these shelters, still contact them about training options and prices. Other training alternatives include searching on YouTube.com for video training. It’s not quite as effective as in-person training, but these videos can still help when training is needed for an uncooperative dog. Most dog training is about training the owner how to train the dog; thus, the dog will usually only learn as well as the owner, so pay attention regardless of the method of training you select.

Please have patience and work with your dog daily to reinforce the lessons and commands you teach your pet. One of the most popular sayings about dogs is, “A tired dog is a good dog.” I guess that’s true. Like humans, dogs need exercise to stay healthy and attain a quality sleep level.

Although two of my dogs sleep about eighteen to twenty hours a day without much exercise. Your pet’s age influences the results related to training and exercise. My third and much younger dog, Mini-Cooper, sleeps about six hours a day and drives the rest of us crazy the other eighteen. If we didn’t have Cooper, I think the other two dogs would sleep twenty-three hours daily, only awakening to eat and to go outside. My wife and I would get more sleep, too.
Pets are a big commitment. They depend on you for everything. Don’t let them down. Spend the time to make your relationships with your pets the best they can be. Lastly, please adopt, don’t shop.

Barry KuKes is the former Community Outreach Director of Halifax Humane Society. Email him at bkukes@gmail.com View more of his work at minicooperproductions.com