Macoupin County Adopt a Pet

HELPFUL HEARTS: Benld Adopt-A-Pet has a number of cats and dogs who are senior and/or have other special needs that require extensive and expensive veterinary care, special diets, enhanced handling or housing, etc. Our Helpful Hearts program allows people to "adopt" one of our hard-to-place animals by becoming their sponsor and making regular contributions toward their care. The sponsors of these Helpful Heart residents receive regular updates and photos of their pets, and may provide them with treats and toys, as well as arranging for visits with their Helpful Heart buddies at the shelter.

SPAY/NEUTER: Benld Adopt-A-Pet is licensed and inspected by the state of Illinois and complies with all applicable laws and regulations, to ensure that each and every animal arriving at the shelter is spayed/neutered before leaving. Spay/neuter operations are performed by an area veterinarian who makes regular visits to the the shelter to perform these procedures and other minor surgeries and dental work in our recently added surgery room..

EDUCATION: Benld Adopt-A-Pet strives to educate the public on issues pertaining to the care and humane treatment of all animals. It is BAAP's belief that ultimately the best way to eliminate the problems of animal over-population, neglect and abuse, is by instilling an understanding of, and respect for, the rights and needs of animals. If one educates children at an early age to care about animals, they are likely to retain a respect for animals for life. Not only does BAAP encourage youth and other groups to visit the shelter, but shelter personnel, accompanied by shelter animals, visit local schools whenever possible.

HEALTHCARE FACILITY VISITS: Benld Adopt-A-Pet brings suitable animals into area healthcare facilities so that the residents may have the experience of visiting with and handling them. Studies have shown that many people do derive therapeutic benefits from having contact with these animals, and the animals seem to benefit from these associations as well.

FOSTER CARE: Benld Adopt-A-Pet is fortunate in having a number of caring individuals who volunteer to take animals into their homes and nurture and socialize them in order that they may be more readily adopted into permanent loving homes. This is probably one of the most unselfish things any person can do; to take one of these animals in, live with and get to know and love it and then, when it is deemed suitably prepared to be adopted into a permanent home, step back and see it go off to live with someone else.