BULLHEAD CITY – The Bullhead City Animal Shelter at 2270 Trane Road is constantly improving its animal care services and, in the next two years, plans to build a much larger facility – perhaps 8,000 to 12,000 square feet in size – across from the existing facility. Currently, efforts are being made to help raise financial donations for development of the new shelter.
The existing 4,000 square-foot building on the east side of Trane Road is located immediately north of the City Hall complex. It is a no-kill facility that has an impressive record of adoption of dogs and cats. The Shelter’s slogan is: “Rescue the mistreated, save the injured and love the abandoned.” Dogs and cats remain in the shelter where they are cared for until they are adopted. Alyson Harms, Bullhead City Shelter Manager, said claims from the previous year have gone up 177%. A claim is when the owner of a dog has a change of heart and returns to the shelter to retrieve his or her pet.
According to the Rescue Paws Foundation, owners who leave their pets at the average shelter may think they’re doing the right thing. But here’s a hard truth: in an average year in the U.S., about 10 million animals die in shelters. Once your pet is left at a kill shelter, it has around 72 hours to be adopted before it is destroyed. They are almost always at capacity, and there are many more animals being abandoned each day than there are homes that welcome pets in. Even the healthiest, most loving companion animals are susceptible to the harsh conditions at over-crowded shelters.
No-kill shelters are committed to never euthanizing healthy animals, or even animals with illnesses that are easily treatable. But this commitment to nursing animals back to health and caring for them for as long as it takes to find permanent homes requires lots of funding and lots of hard work by full-time staff and volunteers alike. Fortunately for the local animal shelter, the Bullhead City Council has provided a healthy budget for the city’s animal shelter.
A big part of the solution is to reduce the number of pets making their way into the shelter system in the first place, especially by expanding access to spay and neuter services. Humane education in elementary and middle schools can also be a vital tool in increasing empathy, compassion and the critical thinking skills to make ethical decisions regarding the treatment of animals. Rescue Paw Foundation considers these critical missions, and we do whatever we can to provide support and funding to our partner organizations dedicated to keeping companion animals alive, happy and healthy.
Alyson works closely with the Best Friends Animal Society BFAS), a non-profit animal welfare organization founded it its present form in 1993. The BFAS does outreach nationwide with shelters, rescue groups and members to promote pet adoption, no-kill animal and pay-and-neuter services. She has visited local schools and made presentations about the Bullhead City Animal Shelter to educate students about the importance of adoption and caring for dogs, cats and other animals. In addition, schools in the area contact the shelter as a site for field trips, which are very educational, and an up close experience for the students.
Adoptions include health examination, basic spay/neuter, rabies vaccination, first preventative vaccination and animal gram. Currently, the Bullhead City Animal Shelter purchases dog and cat food from Walmart, but the shelter also accepts food donations from the public. Years ago, in support of the community, the managers of Safeway and Smith’s market in Bullhead City donated dry dog food in large bags that were torn and wet dog food in dented cans. Albertson’s also donated food but eventually closed its store in Bullhead City.
Besides food, the animal shelter welcomes other donations that include blankets, towels, washcloths/hand towels, newspapers (please no ads), dog toys, Purina dog puppy chow, cat and kitten canned chow, cat toys, non-clumping cat litter, animal grooming products, animal bedding, leashes/collars and food bowls and cat carriers. Incidentally, the animal shelter is no longer accepting aluminum cans for recycle.
Alyson, among a number of innovations, has instituted a dog enrichment program, which needs non-sweetened applesauce, peanut butter, low sodium chicken broth or beef, plain yogurt and canned pumpkin (100% pure). She plans to develop a cat enrichment program in the future. Twice each month, a veterinarian from T.L.C. Tender Loving Care Veterinary & Supplies LLC visits the shelter to administer shots and provide other medical services.
The Bullhead City Animal Shelter is seeking volunteers and also is looking to hire two part time employees Incidentally, the animal shelter is no longer accepting aluminum cans for recycle. Regular hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Animals can be viewed at the shelter 2 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Mondays, Wednesday and Thursdays. For more information, please call (928) 763-6000.
- Thom McGraham
