'Spring' a pet from Council Bluffs Animal Shelter

Even though it doesn't look much like spring outside, we're encouraging you to Spring A Pet from the Council Bluffs Animal Shelter, 2821 S. 15th St., and make your family complete.

If you're going to be in the area of 72nd and Dodge, you can also adopt a pet from our shelter. Support Our Local Animal Shelter volunteers will be at the PETCO, 72nd and Dodge, every Saturday and Sunday during March from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. with pets available for adoption from our shelter. All of the adoption paperwork can be done right at the store, and you and your new "family member" can go shopping at PETCO for food, treats, collars/leashes and those all important toys.

If you love the look of Himalayans - but prefer a little shorter hair - Sapphire would be "purrfect" for you. She's a 5- to 6-year-old Himalayan mix who's already been spayed. Her front "fingernails" have been surgically removed so she needs to be an indoors only cat. Sapphire is wearing a soft coat of creamy tan with beautiful lilac points. She has a dark lilac face and ears with bright blue eyes. Her back and sides are covered in medium length creamy tan fur and she has a dark lilac "plumed" tail. Sapphire has a creamy tan neck, chest and tummy with dark lilac legs and feet.

"Look at us - aren't we cute!"

That would be Frazee and Kittery talking. They are an adorable pair of 3-month-old kitten brothers all decked out in little short striped suits. Frazee is wearing a suit of red tabby with white eyeliner around his bright green eyes. His brother, Kittery, is dressed up in a brown tabby suit with white around his mouth and on his chin. He also has white eyeliner accenting his eyes.

McMillan was found in the 800 block of Second Avenue. He's a gorgeous 2- to 3-year-old neutered male in a medium length suit of buff colored stripes with white accents. McMillan has had his claws surgically removed so he definitely needs to be an indoors only cat. He has a striped tan face with white around his mouth and a little white streak between his golden eyes. His back and sides are covered in buff colored stripes and he has a ringed tail.

If you like golden retrievers and chocolate Labradors, you'll love Bear! He's a wonderful fluffy combination of the two breeds. Bear is 8 months old and is covered in a delightful medium length suit of chocolate brown.

Liberty is looking to be "liberated" from our shelter. She's a 1-year-old Labrador mix in a brown and white suit. She has a brown face with white around her nose. Her back, sides and tail are brown and she has a white neck, chest and tummy with legs and feet to match. Liberty knows how to sit and, very politely, shake hands. She was found running with Warrior in the 300 block of Lincoln Avenue.

Warrior could very easily be Liberty's brother. He's also a 1-year-old Labrador mix who knows how to sit and shake hands. Warrior is wearing a short shiny suit of brown with a white blaze on his chest that broadens out over his tummy.

SOLAS would like to thank Dr. Barb Lee from Valley View Vet Clinic for giving all the vaccinations that were given. We'd also like to thank all the people who came and had their animals vaccinated. Plus a very special thanks to all of you who had your pets microchipped.

Mark your calendars. The Easter Bunny will be at the Council Bluffs Animal Shelter on March 24.

The 2007 dog and cat licenses continue to be on sale at our shelter and also at the Council Bluffs City Clerk's office at 209 Pearl St. The deadline to license a dog without the $15 late penalty ended on Feb. 15. The cost to license a cat is $7 if the cat has been altered and $18 if the cat is intact. The same late fee of $15 will be applied for cat licenses after March 15.

SOLAS is offering senior citizen coupons worth $40 off the cost of the spay/neuter of any cat or dogs adopted from the Council Bluffs Animal Shelter. These coupons will be available to anyone more younger thanage 55. We hope that this will enable more seniors to adopt animals from our shelter. If you're under age 55, we have $25 coupons to help offset the cost of spaying/neutering of any cat or dog adopted from our shelter. These coupons are made possible through a grant from the Iowa West Foundation.

Check out our Web site at solas.networku.net for all of our upcoming events. You can also see photos of all of the animals available for adoption at the shelter on our Web site or you can go to www.petfinder.com

If you are interested in making a tax-deductible donation to SOLAS to help us pay for vaccinations and medical care for the shelter animals, please call us at 256-2287, e-mail us at solas@cox.net or mail a donation to SOLAS, 1204 N. 28th St., Council Bluffs, IA 51501-0751. All donations are very much appreciated.

SOLAS would like to thank our newest kennel sponsors: Norma Peters - In memory of Mark B. Peters. An engraved plaque with your name, or your company's name, will remain on the kennel for one year. Our current sponsors include, Hy-Vee (North 16th Street and Madison Avenue), Kristine Gehring-Ohrablo and Andrew Ohrablo for their dog "Whiskey," Dr. Barb and Jody Strohbehn, H. H. "Red" and Ruth Nelson, the family of Tracy Denese Gostomski in Memory of Tracy and her love for animals, George, Gus and Charlie Doll, Lake Manawa Ice Cream Shoppe, Vatterott College Vet Tech Program, Woodmen of the World Home Office Associates, the Gombert Family Foundation, Janella Matter, Tami and Rick VanSant of Doll Distributing, Wal-Mart and Centri Credit Union.

If you're interested in sponsoring a kennel at our shelter to help with the care of our animals, please contact any SOLAS member.

Remember that responsible pet owners always have their pets spayed or neutered. This not only makes for a happier and healthier pet, but it also helps reduce the number of pets that are put to death each year at humane societies and animal shelters, including the Council Bluffs Animal Shelter. Your actions can help reduce this number and save many lives each year.

- Mary Jones is president of SOLAS

©SW Iowa News 2007