REACHING OUT FOR A HOME? : SHELTER URGES ADOPTION ABANDONED DOGS, CATS AWAIT OWNERS.Byline: Mary Schubert Daily News Staff Writer Fido and Fluffy don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. the holiday season is here, but Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County animal shelter "Dog Pound" redirects here. For the rap group, see Tha Dogg Pound. An animal shelter is a facility that houses homeless, lost or abandoned animals; primarily a large variety of dogs and cats. officials hope shoppers will consider dogs and cats as gift ideas this month and adopt an abandoned pet. The Castaic animal shelter will be one of six county facilities taking part in the Home for the Holidays program, in which any dog or cat can be adopted for $10 plus a possible state license fee, said Bob Ballenger, spokesman for the county Department of Animal Care and Control. Adoptions will begin Wednesday and continue Dec. 11 and Dec. 18 at the county's six animal shelters. The Castaic shelter is at 31044 N. Charlie Canyon Road and the phone number is (805) 257-3191. Mercy Crusade, a nonprofit animal care organization, will cover the costs that normally would fall to the new pet owner - such as spay spay v. To surgically remove the ovaries of an animal. spay, spey to remove the ovaries. See also ovariohysterectomy. spay hook see spay hook. or neuter neu·ter adj. 1. Having undeveloped or imperfectly developed sexual organs. 2. Sexually undeveloped. n. A castrated animal. v. To castrate or spay. neuter 1. and vaccinations. Last year, with the help of the Van Nuys-based charity, the county animal shelter system placed 486 dogs and cats in adoptive homes, Ballenger said. He hoped prospective owners would consider adopting an older animal, although many come to shelters with their heart set on getting a newborn. ``This time of year, the chance of getting puppies and kittens is low,'' Ballenger said. ``Puppies and kittens are born in the spring.'' Lt. George Enriquez of the Castaic animal shelter said there are about 125 cats and dogs Cats and Dogs A slang term referring to speculative stocks that have short or suspicious histories for sales, earnings, dividends, etc. Notes: In a bull market analysts will often mention that everything is going up, even the cats and dogs. available for adoption there. Among them are an Australian shepherd with a litter of weaned wean tr.v. weaned, wean·ing, weans 1. To accustom (the young of a mammal) to take nourishment other than by suckling. 2. , 5-week-old mixed-breed puppies. ``We have a mama with 10 babies,'' Enriquez said. ``We also have a lot of large animals, and those are the hardest ones to place. Most people want smaller animals, for a condo or an apartment,'' Enriquez said. Shoppers and prospective pet owners should consider several factors before they buy a pet for themselves or a loved one, Ballenger said. ``We don't want people to adopt on impulse, ever,'' he said. Oftentimes, prospective owners visit a shelter without a clear idea of the kind of pet they want. ``They want something that they can fall in love with, and it's obvious that their choice is more emotional than rational,'' Ballenger said. ``We really tend to discourage surprises, unless the person is absolutely dead certain that the (recipient) will want it. We don't want animals coming back (to the shelter),'' Ballenger added. ``We want our placements to last.'' First off, consider whether the dog will be an indoor pet or an outdoor pet. If it will be the latter, then it should have a fenced yard big enough for the animal to get exercise and fresh air. If the cat or dog will live in an apartment, first find out if the landlord allows pets, Ballenger said. ``Are they looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. a watch dog or are they looking for a companion animal? '' he said shelter workers ask prospective owners. Another caveat is that some people can't tolerate pet dander dander /dan·der/ (dan´der) small scales from the hair or feathers of animals, which may be a cause of allergy in sensitive persons. dan·der n. . ``Don't buy a pet for somebody who's allergic,'' Ballenger said. Other factors to consider are whether pet owners want a long-haired or short-haired pet and if they will object to shedding, whether they are worried about the animal ruining new carpet or furniture, and whether they have children. ``If you have a newborn baby in the house, maybe it's not such a good idea to have a big dog in the house,'' Ballenger said. Owners should be prepared to give their new pet proper nutrition proper nutrition, n in Tibetan medicine, a therapeutic concept that begins with a digestive formulation because it is believed that a medical condition is primarily the result of a nutritional dysfunction or disturbance in the process of delivering nutrients. - no table scraps - and veterinary care at regular, frequent intervals, he added. And all pets should wear identification tags. CAPTION(S): 3 Photos Photo: (1--Color) One of the many cats and dogs up for adoption at the Castaic animal shelter plays with a metal clasp CLASP - Computer Language for AeronauticS and Programming on its cage. (2--Color) Castaic resident Nancy Forney and her 2-year-old son, Randy, wait while kennel worker Demetrius Cosby retrieves a puppy from its kennel at the shelter Monday. (3--Color) Jeni Tollan of Valencia holds up her newly adopted Australian shepherd mix puppy. Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News |
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