Hobbies & Community
Adopting Pets
H
ave you noticed how many dogs there are in southern Delaware? On the beach, the boardwalks, the trails, at this dog park or that one, in pet-friendly restaurants across the area…. they’re EVERYWHERE!!! Chances are, one (or many more than one) of the pooches you’ve petted have been adopted from local shelters or private rescue organizations. Delaware is hands-down one of the most dog friendly states in the country. Did you know that it is the first and only designated No-Kill state? And that has a lot to do with the adoption culture so prevalent here. Many of the dogs that end up in Delaware shelters are actually from other states! As you consider joining this noteworthy trend, here are your adoption options? The two largest local shelters are Delaware Humane Society (DHA), and Brandywine Valley SPCA (BVSPCA). Both offer similar services: all dogs are spayed/neutered, microchipped in case they get lost, receive
12 Fall/Winter 2021 LOVE LIVING HERETM
vaccines and veterinary care before they are released for adoption. At DHA, several services are offered, such as vaccination clinics, dog licenses at a reduced rate for seniors, a food pantry, behavior training and more. (In 2018, President-Elect and Dr. Jill Biden adopted ‘Major’, a large German Shepherd mix from DHA!) BVSPCA provides similar services. In addition, they operate a veterinary clinic on-site.
