BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month. Organizations such as Best Friends Animal Society and Kern County Animal Services are working together by offering free or reduced adoption fees for dogs over forty pounds.
“October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, and right now big dogs are most at risk in shelters across the country including Kern County, so Best Friends Animal Society is partnering with the shelters and asking them to waive or reduce their adoption fees,” said Michelle Sathe with Best Friends Animal Society.
“Our rescues and adoptions are at an all-time low, so we are going to actually waive all of our adoption fees for dogs that are over forty pounds,” added Joshua Proctor, a behaviorist at the Bakersfield Animal Care Center.
Proctor says inflation could be one of the reasons people are choosing not to adopt bigger breed dogs since those canines typically cost more to care for than smaller breeds.
“Large dogs do cost way more than a small dog, but also it’s harder to house a large dog. So people who are losing their homes there are not as many large dog-friendly housing like apartments, etc. So it gets a little bit more challenging to find placement for them.”
There is also a common misconception that bigger breed dogs are more dangerous than smaller breeds, but Proctor says dog attacks actually tend to come from smaller dogs.
“One out of maybe five hundred large dogs will actually fail their assessments, but the small dogs on the other hand even though they are a little fearful, a little bitey, they get a lot more forgiveness. There are a lot more bites from the smaller breeds that are twenty-five pounds or less.”
Sathe agrees.
“A lot of times these dogs are surrendered by families who have children, so if the shelter knows that they can try to find a great big dog for someone who already has children. I've seen that happen many, many times.”
But housing bigger breed dogs is just the beginning of Best Friends Animal Society's ultimate goal.
“Our goal is to end the killing of shelter pets by 2025,” adds Sathe.
The adoption process is fairly simple.
“You just have to have a valid driver's license. You have to do a meet and greet with the dog, and if you have a large dog as well you also have to bring your dog to do a meet and greet. We like the whole family to meet the dog,” explained Proctor.
For more information about the adoption process, visit the Bakersfield Animal Care Center website.
