Pet adoption is a priceless gift
Eugene residents can find
dentine’s Day love with
a purr-feet pet from the
Greenhill Humane Society
Allison Lind
Freelance Reporter
Looking for love in all the wrong
places? Still haven’t found Mr. or Ms.
Right? Well, the perfect companion
may not be human.
The Greenhill Humane Society,
located at 88530 Greenhill Rd, has
more than 30 dogs and 100 cats
looking for someone to love them.
“Animals are a lot less trouble and
a lot less expensive than a boyfriend
or girlfriend,” front office attendant
Beverly Heitz said. “They’re warm,
they’re loyal and they love you no
matter what.”
For Valentine’s Day, forego those
boxes of chocolates and consider
Tootsie Pop — a black and white fe
male cat that loves to cuddle. Or if
you prefer strawberry blondes, Zoe
is a 3-month-old Chow mix hoping
to capture someone’s heart.
“I wanted to adopt because there
are so many good dogs here without
homes,” University alumnus Rhett
Brewster said. “Plus, they’re good
companions. They’re loyal, and they
don’t complain.”
Eugene resident Joe Brittson
found his companion — a 3-month
old Border Collie — at Greenhill six
months ago, but he still visits occa
sionally to see what new dogs have
come in.
“I’m really glad I came here to
adopt because there are a lot of great
dogs in the shelters,” he said.
Like in all relationships, one
needs to decide how much of a com
mitment he or she is ready for.
“Cats are like roommates; dogs
are like babies,” 21-year-old Spring
field resident Sabrina Goff said. Goff
said she prefers cats because they
require less maintenance than dogs.
Heitz said getting a pet is definite
ly more of a commitment than a
Valentine’s Day date.
“Make sure you have enough
time in your schedule and realize
the commitment you’re making,”
Heitz said. “It’s not just feeding an
animal. It’s loving and caring for a
living thing.”
If you’re not looking for a long
term relationship, the organization
also has a foster care program,
where qualified applicants can tem
porarily care for a cat or dog. The
purpose of the program is to get ani
mals socialized or nursed back to
health. Heitz recommends this pro
gram for college students who will
eventually be moving and are unable
to take their pets with them.
On average, Greenhill receives
about 136 cats and 80 dogs a
month, but only 39 cats and 15
dogs were not adopted, according
to 2002 statistics. Greenhill is a
“low-kill” Humane Society, which
means it only puts animals to sleep
when there is a severe health or be
havioral problem, so the facility is
often overcrowded.
The adoption fee is #125 for dogs
and #85 to #125 for cats, which cov
ers a veterinary exam, certain vacci
nations, a free microchip, a spay or
neuter deposit and a collar and tag.
For a limited time, the adoption fee
for any cat that is more than six
months old and is spayed or
neutered is only #30.
Finding love can be a relentless,
hopeless search, but Cupid’s arrow
may just strike you at Greenhill.
“WTiat do you get out of a box of
Valentine’s candies? Calories and
cavities,” said Heitz. “With pets, you
get companionship and love.”
Allison Lind is a freelance writer
for the Emerald.
Jeremy Forrest Emerald
Tootsie Pop is just one of many cats to be found at Greenhill Humane Society. Dogs,
rabbits and other smaller creatures also reside there.
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