Pets await new homes at animal shelter

President-elect Barack Obama told his daughters they had earned the dog he promised them after the election.

At his first press conference as president-elect, he told reporters the new addition to the family would have to be hypoallergenic due to his ten-year-old daughter's allergies. He would prefer the dog to come from a shelter, he said, heightening the awareness around the country of dogs, cats and other potential pets being held in animal shelters.

The Mountain Home Animal Shelter does not have any hypoallergenic dogs but does have a large number of cats and dogs looking for homes.

The animals at the shelter are strays. The shelter does not accept owner turn-ins but instead offers suggestions such as giving out the number to the Idaho Human Society in Boise or allowing owners to post a flyer on their windows for people looking for a new home for their current pets.

Animal Shelter Manager Courtney Hillis said it normally takes two to three weeks for a stray cat or dog to be adopted at the shelter.

The shelter relies heavily on volunteers to socialize stray dogs and cats. Socializing an animal involves playing with and holding it so that it gets used to being around humans, Hillis said.

Adoption is always the agency's first choice for the animals. Hillis said there isn't a set time for unadopted dogs or cats to be put down if they aren't adopted. She said that is always their last resort, usually only when there is no longer any room for them due to new arrivals, and is used on a case-by-case basis.

Hillis said pets from the shelter usually make the best pets because of their temperament.

Karl Trevathan of Mountain Home agrees with her.

He has adopted two dogs from the shelter, a German Short Hair and a Sheltie-Corgi mix.

He adopted Kelly, the German Short Hair, 10 years ago and has had Lucy, the Sheltie-Corgi mix, for the last eight.

Like Obama, he said his family's preference was to adopt a dog from the shelter that didn't already have a home.

He said both dogs have been excellent pets and said the shelter would be the first place he looks if he ever decides to get another dog.

While the shelter does not have any hypoallergenic dogs, it does have a "pet wanted" list, which acts as a waiting list that potential customers can fill out and be notified when a desired pet becomes available.

Cheryl D'Andera, from The Dogspot, a dog daycare, grooming and overnight boarding company in Mountain Home, said a single-coat dog such as a Poodle, Cockapoodle or Shitzu are good options for people allergic to dogs.

She also recommended a Labradoodle for people allergic to dogs, a breed that's a cross between a Poodle and a Labrador Retriever.

The dogs can be expensive to purchase but there are some relatively inexpensive ways people can help minimize allergies to dogs.

D'Andera recommends people with allergies talk to a doctor about antihistamines and that they frequently bath and brush their dog. She also recommends changing the dog's bedding regularly, as well as where it sleeps, and to keep the dog outside during the day as much as possible.

She explained most people who are allergic to dogs actually are allergic to the the dog's dander, which falls out from its undercoat.

She said most dogs that don't shed are lap dogs.

At the Animal Shelter, Hillis relies on volunteers to do more than socialize future pets.

Volunteers also walk dogs, play with the cats, rake leaves and other important jobs around the facility.

Hillis said she can always use more volunteers. People who don't have the time to volunteer can still get involved with the shelter by donating pet supplies, kitty litter, blankets and towels, toys and dog or cat food.

While the search for the next "First Dog" will have to continue past the Mountain Home Animal Shelter, there is a good chance residents of Mountain Home can end their search for their next pet at the shelter.

For more information, call Hillis at 587-2111 or visit the website at http://www.mhas.mhpd.net/.