By Patricia A. Scheyer
NKyTribune reporter
‘Tis the season when some families think about adopting a pet.
Children add the line ‘I want a puppy’ or ‘I want a kitty’ to their Christmas list and beg their parents over and over, promising that they will take care of the animal, and feed it and walk it and take good care of it. They even fall asleep sometimes, envisioning a special box with a grand bow under the tree that might have little whimpers emanating from the interior.
Parents are not so sure, but as they remember animals that they had as children, their resolve sometimes falters, and they are just not sure.
The Kenton County Animal Shelter has just the program for people who might be on the fence about adopting a pet, or maybe they just want to help animals. A program called Silent Night allows people the chance to take an animal home for the holidays. The program is in its third year.
“We currently have about 50 to 60 animals in our kennels that people can take home for two weeks,” said Taylor Sharp, Foster Volunteer Coordinator for the Kenton County Animal Shelter. “I was here last year, and we were able to foster out quite a few dogs to families over the holidays. And we found that a lot of families decided to adopt the dog they took home.”
The numbers are good. Last year, 22 dogs were fostered during the Silent Night program, and of those 8 were adopted by the people who fostered them.
This year Sharp said the shelter is adding cats to the list of animals available for this program.
“People who want to participate in this program can go to our website, find the Silent Night title under programs, and there will be a link to a form that people can fill out,” Sharp explained. “We have to have the application before December 19. We are asking that people who foster for this program keep the animals until January 2, though the times of each stay can vary based on fosters’ schedules.”
All pets will be sent to their temporary homes with food, a toy, a leash or collar, or a carrier, as well as information on the pet so the sojourn will start out with everything needed for a successful trip.
The Silent Night program began because organizers heard about this program being started and achieving success in other parts of the country. Shelter life can be very stressful for animals who try to avoid loud noises and confinement. Even the best shelters in the world cannot help the cacophony of barking and whining within their confines because the problem of stray animals is a constant problem.
This program not only gives people a chance to trial run the adoption of an animal into their household to see if it is compatible, but it also gives the animal a chance to have a period of peaceful time in a home where they can enjoy a few silent nights. This reduces anxiety in many animals.
Sharp said they are likely to continue the program, because it has gotten a very good reaction from the public.
Once the foster application from people is processed, those people will be notified to come and pick up their animals between December 19 and December 22.
“Silent Night is a program we really believe in at Kenton County Animal Services, and we’re hopeful it will be just as successful as it has been in past years,” said John Davis, Assistant Director at the shelter. “Getting our animals into a real home for the holidays (even for a short break) does wonders for them. It also gives us a chance to see their personalities in a setting we don’t always get to experience at the shelter. This is our third year offering the program and it has helped us learn so much about our animals and make better adoption matches.”
Davis said that anyone who is interested can fill out a quick application on their website and they will work to pair them with a pet that fits their lifestyle. A win/win proposition like this one is just what is needed at Christmas time.