Pet of Week

Who We Are at the Shelter

                 The League is made up of all volunteers from this community with the commitment to providing food, medical attention, human companionship and finding homes for as many animals as possible.  We work in conjunction with the POA Animal Control Officers, and are located together at the Shelter at 195 Cloaca Lane.  While Animal Control oversees the building, rescues animals, responds to complaints, and keeps track of the all the necessary supplies, and information about the pets in the village, our responsibility is to raise funds for all food, medicine, kitty litter, cage supplies, and all other needs for the adoptable animals.  Some times the lines get blurred but the main desires are the same:  to save, give comfort and find homes for as many animals as possible. 

                  The Animal Welfare League and the POA Animal Control Division of the Police Dept. are separate organizations.

     The Animal Control Officers have been highly trained to deal with handling animals that are in our Village, including medical treatment in some cases.  We want everyone in the Village to know that they must register their pets at the Shelter every year.  To do that one must bring proof of a Rabies Vaccination from a veterinarian and $10.50.  You will be given an ID tag with the HSV identification number on it.  It is a State of Arkansas law that every pet must have a rabies vaccination because we live closely with wildlife. 

     We highly recommend that you have a microchip inserted under your pets’ skin. Because Animal Control has a scanner, they will be able to notify you should your animal be rescued.  We also encourage you to keep your animals on a leash at all times because of the large population of wildlife that exists in the village. Large owls, hawks, large dogs, coyotes, bears, raccoons, bobcats, and snakes present real hazards to your pet.  Be responsible…this is a wildlife habitat.  A lost animal will be held for 5 days (longer if there is room) in hopes that the owner will claim it. It will then be evaluated for the adoption program. 

                  Not every animal we have is lost, some are turned in for other reasons: lack of funds, moving somewhere that does not accept pets, the owner’s health problems, and death of the owner.  Of course they are upset and lonely, so our volunteers at the Shelter do their best to give them attention and affection.  For some animals, it is the best home, the best food, and the most attention they have ever had.  This is the point at which the League begins to furnish the medical, food and creature comforts for these pets, all of which cost money.  The existing shelter was renovated and expanded in 2007.  The result is a light and airy facility, doubled in size, both animal and people friendly.  The "intake" side houses incoming animals until they can be evaluated by a veterinarian. When they are ready for adoption, the animals are transferred to the "adoption" side.  This practice helps to eliminate the threat of communicable diseases. The Animal Control Officers alone determine which animals are to be available for adoption according to health, temperament, and available space.

                   Our funds are raised by gaining new members (one single membership pays for one shot), two fund raising activities a year, memorial gifts, cage sponsorships, aluminum can collection, recycling printer cartridges, adoptions and gifts.  We have friends out there who donate food, toys, kitty litter, old towels and washable rugs, all of which we are in constant need. 

     Another program we have is sponsoring “Kind News”, a monthly newsletter from the Humane Society of the United States, which is devoted to educating children about their responsibilities to animals. For $25.00 we are able to have this newsletter delivered to each child in one classroom for the whole year.  We are currently sponsoring 60 classes, grades one through six, in Jessieville, Mountain Pine, and Fountain Lake. 

                  Our volunteers are at the Shelter from 10:00 to 3:00 six days a week, 52 weeks a year, spending time with the animals, doing paperwork, showing potential adopters the available pets, and working with the Animal Control Officers in many different ways.  Other members of the League contribute many hours to fund raising, walking the dogs, publicity, collecting aluminum cans, and offering their services for any need that crops up.   League members donate thousands of hours of volunteer labor each year and provide homes for hundreds of homeless animals.

                  You can help us tremendously by putting your aluminum cans in the fenced area at the Shelter.  We are also in constant need of pet food, kitty litter, old towels. washable rugs and pet toys.

                   If you have a real concern for the lives of so many needy cats and dogs, please consider supporting and joining the League.  Our members receive a copy of our quarterly newsletter “PawPrints” which has information about our current activities.  Please visit the Shelter, we think you will be most impressed with the facilities and comfort we offer these animals.  

                                                                        THANK YOU

 The Shelter hours are 8:00 to 3:30 Monday through Friday.  Closed to the public Sunday and All National Holidays. 

Animal Welfare League Volunteers serve from 10:00 to 3:00 Mon. - Sat.  In some emergencies you may find the Shelter closed during those hours, so it is recommended that you call before coming to the Shelter. 

For adoption information call 915-9337.

For Animal Control Officers call 922-6547.