WHEN TO ADOPT A PET, AND WHEN NOT TO

Bill and Juda Worley have been thinking about adopting a dog for a while and decided Christmas would be a good time to bring a pet into their Benton home.

So they were in the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri Saturday morning filling out the application to adopt a big-eared, small-framed black and brown dog they had already nicknamed Macho.

"He's just what we were looking for," Bill said as he held the little dog.

While the Worleys aren't certain of getting the dog (their application must be approved first), the couple does have the right attitude about getting a pet as a Christmas present, said Kim Peters, director of education at the Humane Society, located at 2536 Boutin in Cape Girardeau.

"Christmas time is generally a good time to adopt a pet, if the family has thought about it and decided they can handle the responsibility of pet ownership," Peters said.

On the other hand, the Humane Society discourages people from surprising a spouse or girlfriend or boyfriend with a dog or cat.

"Owning a pet is a big responsibility," she said. "You shouldn't give a pet to someone without discussing it first."

During that discussion, Peters suggests thinking about the reasons people decide they no longer want a pet and end up bringing it to the Humane Society's shelter. The three main reasons are that the people don't have time for the animal, can't financially support it or the pet's personality doesn't fit in with the family.

As for time, Peters said dogs need about five hours of attention per day and cats three hours. If people have less than that, Peters said, they might want to consider fish or a hamsters.

The financial aspect of pet ownership includes being able to buy the proper food, treats and provide adequate veterinarian care. The latter includes spaying or neutering, vaccinations and any type of emergency care the animal might need, Peters said.

Doing research on dog breeds and thinking about your family and home situation can help families pick a pet that is a good match, Peters said.

Some breeds are generally better with children, some are calmer. Smaller animals are better for apartments. Larger dogs might be good for a family with a large yard.

"We have a lot of literature on this and can help families decide on the type of dog or cat they want," Peters said.

Then again, sometimes people walk through the shelter and just click with a certain animal. That's OK, too, Peters said, as long as they realize what the needs of that animal are.

"We allow people time with the animal so they will know if they click with it," Peters said.

The Worleys had certainly clicked with the dog they were hoping to adopt.

Bill Worley said they want to adopt from the Humane Society because the animals there need homes.

"If these animals aren't adopted, they could be put to sleep," Worley said.

Peters said that unfortunately that is true. The shelter typically takes in 4,500 animals per year and about 75 percent of those are euthanized.

"It's impossible to place all these animals," she said. "There just aren't enough homes."

What's sad, she said, is that this overpopulation of animals could be prevented if people would spay or neuter their pets.

How much of a problem could this be?

According to figures from the National Humane Society, if you take two cats and let them and their offspring reproduce freely for nine years, you could end up with 11 million cats.

Still, the Human Society is selective about who it allows to take home animals. There is a fairly lengthy application form and applicants are screened to make sure they can take care of the animal, said Peters.

"We 'adopt' animals," she said. "We truly believe that a pet should be part of the family and that the adoption is for life."

WINTERIZE YOUR PET

As colder weather sets in and you winterize your house, car and yard, don't forget about making preparations for your pets.

"Animals get cold just like humans do," said Kim Peters, director of education at the Humane Society,

Peters offer the following tips on providing winter care for your pets.

* Make sure your animals have fresh water. Snow is not a good substitute for water and water in an outside water bowl may freeze. So check water often.

* Have proper shelter for animals while they are outside. Cats and dogs may have fur, but it doesn't provide protection when temperatures dip below zero. "They do require shelter," Peters said.

* Hay is the best bedding to keep in a shelter. "It dries quickly and will keep them warmer and won't stay frozen like a blanket will," Peters said.

* If there will be several days of below-zero weather, bring the animal inside occasionally. "You may want to bring the animal in at night and leave it out during the day," Peters said.

* Be careful if you have portable heaters. They can severely burn animals.

* Maintain regular grooming. Regular brushing will keep an animal's fur healthy and keep them warmer than if the fur is matted.

* Outside animals usually need additional calories to maintain adequate body temperature when it is cold, so feed them more.

* Towel dry or blow dry pets that get wet from rain and show. "Animals are susceptible to illness, just like people are," Peters said.

* If your pet does get sick, don't treat it with over-the-counter medications.

* Antifreeze is lethal to dogs and cats in any amount, so when checking or changing your antifreeze be sure to dispose of it properly. Since antifreeze taste and smells good to dogs, it can't be left out around animals.