Shelter sale offers some puppy love
May 1—A fundraiser is on the way to help some dogs at Pauls Valley's animal shelter get their own space for a little exercise and a place to maybe say hi to a new future owner.
It comes in the form of a garage sale led by the Pauls Valley Animal Welfare Society, best known as P.A.W.S.
The sale is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 4-5 at the PV Animal Shelter, 300 East Airport Industrial Road south of Pauls Valley off of U.S. Highway 77.
New shelter director Christopher Hurley, armed with a shelter dog and leash, recently showed why the fundraiser and project its supporting is needed.
"We're raising money for an area outside where there's a meet-and-greet place for dogs. That's why we need this meet-and-greet area," Hurley said while trying to keep a large dog in the front lobby of the shelter from wanting to venture out.
"You can't let them out to run around because we don't have an area for that yet."
The mission here is raise enough money to build a large fenced-in area, complete with a concrete base, off to one side of the small road leading to the shelter.
Timmie Clark of P.A.W.S. says this new area is exactly what the shelter dogs need before they go into an adopted home.
"We have an inside cat room, but right now there's no place to take the dogs," Clark said.
"This would be an area where people can take a puppy or dog and spend some time with them. It will be a place where people can go out with the dogs. It will also be a place where the dogs can exercise.
"There's only one way to calm the dogs down and that's to get out for some exercise."
As for the garage sale this weekend, Clark said a number of P.A.W.S. members are all in with their participation.
"All of us are taking our things out there for the garage sale," she said. "Nothing is going to be priced, so you can just donate what you like."
Help has also already come in for the fundraiser, including a donation from an unexpected place.
"We got a check from a couple in Colorado who adopted a puppy that came from Pauls Valley," Clark said.
"We've gotten other donations, some sizable donations from people just wanting to help."
Clark also has plenty of praise for Hurley, who started at the local shelter in early March.
"There's been more adoptions since he's been here. Our whole board has been energized by Chris. He has so much energy."
With the adoptions up that means cats and dogs are spending less time in the local shelter before heading off for new homes.
"Things are getting better," Hurley said.
"When I got here the average stay in the shelter for these animals was over 500 days. Now, it's down to around 130 days.
"This is still a no-kill shelter. The only animals euthanized are the ones that can't be saved."
Other programs available at the shelter include a couple of special programs, animal food offered by P.A.W.S. to those in need, a blessing box in front of the shelter offering free food for animals and even people and a spay and neuter clinic with sign up the first working day of the month. The next clinic is May 16.
"We're one of only two shelters in the state of Oklahoma to have a Pets for Patriots program," Hurley said about one of the special programs.
"This program provides companion animals to veterans at no cost to them."
There's also a Friends for Folks program, which provides obedience training to some dogs to prepare them for new homes when adopted.
