‘Shelly, a charming older yellow Labrador retriever mix, has a happy disposition that makes you smile. She’s a pleasure to walk and likes to chase balls and play with tug toys.
With all of Shelly’s good qualities it’s hard to imagine why she would be found wandering without an ID tag. What’s even stranger is, at three weeks and counting, her owners haven’t come to the San Luis Obispo County Animal Shelter to find her.
“I wonder if the lack of an ID tag is because the owners chose to abandon Shelly rather than pay for the minor surgery she needs to remove the benign growth from the top of her head.
“At another county shelter, this growth would likely result in Shelly becoming one of the 3.7 million dogs and cats that are estimated to be put to sleep each year in America’s county shelters. Fortunately for Shelly, the shelter’s Animals Requesting Friends (ARF) Fund has enough to provide for her surgery. “If pet owners would have microchip or tags on their pets, overcrowding at county shelters would not be such a problem. Additionally, by spaying or neutering pets, the number of unwanted pets would decrease.
“To address the latter, on Feb. 23, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors will release $40 spay/neuter vouchers. All county residents’ cats and licensed dogs are eligible for these vouchers.
“As for Shelly, she will have her surgery, she’s now microchipped and hopefully will soon find a home to last a lifetime.”
— Ellen Perryess, animal shelter volunteer
For more information about Shelly, ID No. 164241, call the volunteer line at the San Luis Obispo County Animal Shelter at 781-4413 or visit www. sloanimalservices.com.
The Animal Services shelter is at 885 Oklahoma Ave., off Highway 1 in San Luis Obispo.
More shelter animals available for adoption can be viewed on the same Web site.
The adoption fee is $70 for cats and $95 for dogs, plus a $15 county license fee for dogs if the adopters are San Luis Obispo County residents.
The adoption fee includes spay or neuter, basic vaccinations, microchip, eligibility for a free veterinarian check, new collar and ID tag, and carrier for cats.
If you have a story or photos of your furry, feathered or scaly friend, please e-mail them to me to pettales@ thetribunenews.com or mail to Pet Tales, c/o The Tribune, P.O. Box 112, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406.
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