The Lafayette Parish Animal Shelter & Care Center (LASCC) will host its “Second Chance Saturday” adoption event on Saturday, September 9. Held on the second Saturday of each month, Saturday adoptions give animals at the shelter a second chance of being adopted into a loving home. The shelter, located at 613 W. Pont Des Mouton Rd. in Lafayette, will be open from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. for those interested in adopting dogs, puppies, cats or kittens housed at the shelter.
In August, Lafayette Mayor-President Joel Robideaux signed into law an ordinance which significantly lowers adoption fees to $35 for dogs and puppies and $25 for cats and kittens. Additionally, adoption fees are waived altogether for military veterans with IDs and senior citizens over 65 years of age. Every adoptable animal from the shelter is neutered or spayed, vaccinated and microchipped, which is a value of $200-500. Cash, Visa, MasterCard and Discover payments are accepted at LASCC.
For individuals interested in gifting a shelter pet, adoption gift certificates are the best option. Pet ownership requires planning, and giving a pet as a gift is generally discouraged. Giving an LASCC “Gift Fur-tificate” ensures that the recipient is ready to welcome their new pet and it allows them to select a puppy, kitten, dog or cat of their choice. LSACC adoption gift certificates are available for purchase at the shelter and cover costs associated with regular adoption, including spaying/neutering, vaccinations, heartworm testing and microchips.
The Second Chance Saturday adoption series is aimed at increasing LASCC’s adoptions, thereby reducing the euthanasia rate. Extended adoption hours have increased the number of adopted animals and have proven to be more convenient by working around people’s busy schedules. Saturday adoptions also allow both the adopted animal and their new owner the remainder of the weekend to become acquainted with each other’s needs and schedules before resuming the regular week on Monday.
LASCC will only be open for adoptions on the afternoon of September 9 and will not accept animals for intake on this day. Regular adoption hours are from 1 p.m. until 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Robideaux announced a no kill shelter initiative early in his administration and entered into a fellowship with Target Zero to achieve the goal. In addition to the reduced adoption fees and extended hours, LACC is implementing other best practices to increase live outcomes by adopting a feline Trap, Neuter and Return (TNR) program and ramping up collaborations with local animal rescue organizations to provide new avenues for animals admitted to the shelter. Under the TNR program, also known as community cat diversion, free-roaming cats are safely trapped and then examined by a vet for overall health, spayed or neutered and rabies vaccinated before being returned to the location where they were originally picked up. The spaying and neutering not only reduces the community cat population but also decreases nuisance behaviors associated with feral felines.
For more information on the Lafayette Animal Shelter & Care Center visit www.lafayettela.gov/aCPlus or https://www.facebook.com/
