Humane Society offering discounted adoptions, encouraging fosters

Spending lots of time at home? 

Now may just be the perfect time to bring home a new furry family member, according to Tracy Poston, executive director of the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri, who said the shelter is trying to get adoptions and fostered pets out in “full force.”

All adoptions are discounted, excluding puppies and kittens, which Poston said are still being adopted fairly often. There isn’t a flat rate for adoption fees, as she said it depends on the needs of each animal, but the rates are low. 

“I mean, I just adopted out a dog yesterday for $25,” Poston said as an example. 

Adoption visits to the shelter, 2536 Boutin Drive in Cape Girardeau, are being taken by appointment only to help mitigate the risks of COVID-19, and all visits take place outdoors, Poston said. And while deep cleaning is an everyday task at the shelter, Poston said the staff has been sanitizing every surface after each visit. 

For those uninterested in a permanent commitment, Poston said animal fostering is an option that is hugely helpful right now, and not just for the small staff.

“It gives the animals that have been in the shelter for a long time a break out of the shelter,” she said. “It gives them an opportunity to work on some home skills that maybe they haven’t had for months.”

And many folks have stepped up, she said, noting the shelter had recently been able to place about 30 animals in foster homes.

“That’s really pretty remarkable for us,” she said. “And we need to keep doing that because there are still quite a few at the shelter that could use that.”

Poston said the shelter is encouraging foster families to share photos and videos of their temporary pets on social media and look for permanent homes for them. It’s not a typical ask for foster families, but she said one foster-owner, in particular, has already helped two pets find their “forever homes.”

Sometimes foster-owners fall in love with the pets and decide to adopt; the shelter has a name for that.

“We call those ‘foster fails’ and they’re our favorite thing,” Poston said, laughing.

The shelter was at capacity when local COVID-19 concerns increased, Poston said, so it’s important they find homes for as many animals as possible. 

“We’re really limited in what we can do,” Poston said. “We want to be in a position to be here for our community, and if we can get as many animals out adopted and fostered, then we are then prepared to help if that becomes a necessity.”

Like adoption visits, animal surrenders are being taken by appointment only, and Poston said shelter staff is encouraging pet owners to avoid surrenders if at all possible during this time to avoid filling the shelter.

“We know that things can be financially difficult, so we want to be providing some resources that will help you to not have to surrender your pet right now,” she said. The shelter will accept surrendered pets in some emergency situations. 

For current pet owners, Poston said it’s important to have a plan amid coronavirus concerns, should they find themselves unable to care for pets. Such a plan should include a detailed medical history and any medications the pet is taking, extra food with instructions on how much to feed the animal, and identified family members, friends or neighbors who are willing to step in and care for the pet in the case of an emergency. 

“Just like you would prepare for any other emergency, you don’t want to forget about your pet,” Poston said. 

Those interested in fostering animals must fill out an application, which may be found online at www.semopets.org, or folks can call the shelter and have the form filled out over the phone. For information about adoption fees or to make an appointment, call the shelter at (573) 334-5837.