Noah\u2019s Ark Expands Services for Pets

Noah’s Ark Expands Services for Pets

By Peggy Werner

Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary, 111 N. 1 st St., has a vision that reaches far beyond its organization. It’s involving local residents in pet overpopulation reduction efforts and teaching people to become better pet owners. It’s also recruiting volunteers to free up staff for expanding shelter programs.

Noah’s Ark recently teamed up with PAWS of Rockford to offer the community a Trap, Neuter/Spay and Return (TNR) program in response to Winnebago County Animal Services’ decision last year to stop accepting live trapped feral cats. The county still accepts strays in cat carriers, as well as owner surrenders by appointment.

Stephanie Lauer, executive director of Noah’s Ark, says PAWS provides traps and advice for trapping cats and Noah’s Ark provides the services of neutering or spaying and vaccinating feral or barn cats before returning them to the outdoors.

The “Return to Field” program began Feb. 23 and is specifically for outdoor cats that are not adoptable as pets. The program helps to curb the cat population and the spread of disease, Lauer says.

“We’ve teamed up just in time for the spring kitten season, which began mid-February and will continue through June, when hundreds of kittens will be born before a brief slowdown until more births in the fall,” she says.

Feral cats are conditioned from birth to live outdoors because their mothers teach them how to hunt and their coat and body composition changes with the seasons. TNR is a humane approach to addressing a community’s cat overpopulation. It improves the lives of cats, addresses community concerns and complaints about cats, and reduces breeding cycles and disease.

Cats who have been through the program have their ears “tipped,” a cut made on the ear while the cat is under an anesthetic. The healed cut signifies to people that the cat is a stray, but has been altered.

There’s also an expanding program at Noah’s Ark to help animals find forever homes.

Noah’s Ark recently announced an expansion of its foster care program through its Facebook page and website, noahsarkanimals.org. Individuals can foster a cat, kitten, puppy or dog until the animal is old enough to be adopted or there is room in the shelter.

“The more foster parents we have, the more animals we can help,” says Lauer. “It’s always our goal to help the most animals we can.”

Volunteers help the staff to be more available for growing shelter services. They’re asked to work at least four to six hours a month. Volunteers clean litter boxes and cages, feed the animals and monitor their behavior for any changes. They also play with and cuddle animals to help them socialize.

Shelters would have an easier job if pet owners were better trained.

Too often, people impulsively adopt an animal without realizing what a big responsibility it is to properly care for a pet, Lauer says.

People need to be emotionally and financially prepared to care for an animal, have valid reasons for wanting to own a pet, understand the traits of the breed they are adopting, and be willing to commit to the pet’s wellbeing for a lifetime.

“Pets become part of your life, part of your home and family, and they need to be treated with the same love and respect as anyone else in the home,” she says.

There are legitimate reasons why people surrender animals, such as when allergies develop, an owner becomes too sick to care for the pet or some other lifechanging situation occurs.

But all too often, people just don’t accept the responsibility of pet ownership and give up too easily, Lauer has observed.

An all-too-common scenario is when someone impulsively buys a “cute” little puppy, fails to train it properly and then can’t control the destructive dog it becomes.

“All dogs need training,” says Lauer. “There is not one puppy ever born that doesn’t need training. A lot of aggression issues with dogs are the result of puppy issues that were never dealt with and corrected.”

As a result, people become afraid and may neglect or abandon their pet. Or, they may euthanize a dog because it has become too aggressive.

There’s no excuse to own a pet and not properly care for it.

Agencies like Noah’s Ark, PAWS, Mending Hearts, Care for Pets and many other shelters will help owners to train dogs. They’ll also provide tips for helping a pet acclimate to a new home. Pet food pantries, spay, neuter and other medical services are available for people with low incomes. And Winnebago County Animal Services has a list of petfriendly landlords.

“If you can’t take care of a pet, don’t get one,” says Lauer. “But if you do get a pet, we can help you to keep it.” ❚