Decatur Times

If you’ve got a lonely heart this Valentine’s Day, Huntsville Animal Services wants to help you find a fur-ever love.

The shelter is waiving fees on most adult pets from Feb. 13-18 in hopes of matching a lonely pet with a loving owner. Animal Services Director Dr. Karen Sheppard said strolling by the kennels will surely tug at your heartstrings.

“It’s hard to look into the eyes of some of our adorable pets and not want to take them all home,” she said. “Whether you want a small dog, big dog, puppy or an adult cat, we have animals you are sure to fall for.”

Adoptable pets won’t make a love connection with other animals, however, as each pet is spayed or neutered before it leaves the shelter. February is Spay/Neuter Awareness Month, which Sheppard said serves as a reminder that spaying and neutering saves lives.

“We’re really going to be beating the spay/neuter drum this year because spaying even one female dog or cat can prevent hundreds of unwanted puppies or kittens over the course of several years,” she said. “We spay and neuter every animal that enters the shelter but now we’re asking the community to be vigilant and get their pets fixed.”

Huntsville Animal Services will promote spay/neuter awareness as part of a campaign, “The Fix Is In.” A list of local spay/neuter resources can be found at HuntsvilleAL.gov/spay-neuter.

In addition to being spayed/neutered, adopted pets are vaccinated, microchipped and come with a City license. Those who adopt an animal on Valentine’s Day (Tuesday, Feb. 14) will receive a special goody bag of treats and free bag of pet food while supplies last.

Can’t adopt right now? Consider the shelter’s sleepover and fostering programs that help get pets out of the shelter temporarily. Sheppard said fostering increases a pet’s chances of being adopted if the fosters take plenty of cute pictures and document the dog’s positive behaviors.

Click here to see photos, ages and descriptions of available animals.

Animal Services is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 256-883-3782, visit HuntsvilleAL.gov/Animal or visit their Facebook page to learn more.

Original source can be found here.