The shelter’s dogs and cats show off their skills and lovable personality to find their purrfect match
By MATTHEW MCELDOWNEY — city@theaggie.org
The Yolo County Animal Services Shelter hosted their Clear the Shelter event on Sept. 21 to help their cats and dogs find their forever homes. Attendees were given the opportunity to meet the shelter’s furry friends and see their loving personalities in action. The event waived the cost of adoption for all of their dogs and cats while also providing a selection of donated pet care products for their newly adopted pets.
Future pet owners were able to learn about pet food options, the resources provided by the shelter and pet care information at the various booths set up in the shelter’s parking lot. Lending a hand with the shelter’s physical donations and kittens area, the Eagle Scouts volunteered throughout the event.
Stephanie Amato, the director of animal services for the Yolo County Animal Services Shelter, oversees the shelter operations as well as field work for operations ranging from animal cruelty cases to wildfire response. Amato explained the role Yolo County Animal Services provides for pet owners and the community at large.
“Our primary role is public safety, public education and making sure that the animals in our community are taken care of as well,” Amato said. “Animal services is a place where people can find their lost pets and help animals find new homes. It is also where our field responders work to handle all kinds of wildlife to ensure the safety of our community.”
As a big part of their mission, the shelter provides many important resources for the animals that are rescued or surrendered. Before any pet is ready to be adopted, the shelter ensures they receive vaccines, flea control, medical care and spaying or neutering. And although Amato explained how staff is limited, it is their highest priority for the shelter to have their pets go on day trips, get toys and receive other forms of enrichment. This emphasis on mental well-being as well as physical is something Amato cannot stress enough.
Yolo County Animal Services provides resources for the community’s pet owners as well. Pet owners who have recently adopted are given important necessities such as a harness, toys, food and a packet containing information about pet behavior and resources available to them.
“We really set the new pet parents up with a support system where we can offer our advice and expertise,” Amato said. “We try to support them with pet food, pet beds and whatever resources they need to keep these pets in their new homes.”
New and old pet parents alike can benefit as the shelter is excited to be hosting their first free vaccine and microchip clinic on Oct. 5. Further information about the resources provided by Yolo County Animal Services and any upcoming events can be accessed on their official website.
Tricia Hilliard is the co-founder of Friends of Yolo County Animal Services, the organization that sponsors a lot of the adoption events that happen all throughout Yolo County, including the June 4 kitten adoption event that happened in Davis at Phi Delta Theta.
“Our mission, really, is two-fold,” Hilliard said. “It is to get the community involved to take a look at our dogs and reach out to volunteers.”
The events they host are also meant to encourage the donations of pet supplies and monetary contributions for the shelter as they anticipate major renovations. On top of the supplies being useful for the shelter’s pets, the supplies are also given back to the community for new pet owners to get started. The Friends of the Yolo County Animal Services website contains a wishlist for the shelter that includes items such as dog collars, crates and treats.
A hope for Hilliard and Amato is to find more animal lovers willing to dedicate a few hours in their schedule to help walk the shelter’s ever-growing pet population. Regardless of experience, they would love to take on and train volunteers to help out around the shelter. Volunteer shifts tend to last around three hours and are available from as early as 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the latest. Further information on how to apply is available on the Friends of the Yolo County Animal Services website.
“Even if you can’t adopt, volunteer or donate, the best thing to do is to be educated about what we do here because it is not all doom and gloom,” Amato said. “There’s a lot more that we give back to the community, and there’s also a lot more around the corner as we hope to host more events throughout the county.”
Written by: Matthew Mceldowney — city@theaggie.org
