Society hopes adoptions rise during holidays

The "Tree of Hope" is up at Petco in the hope people will donate food and toy items to benefit more than 125 cats and dogs that will spend Christmas in cages at the Humane Society of Highlands County - unless they're adopted.

The store is located in the Shoppes at Shelby Crossing in Sebring.

"We just put it up Monday," said Judy Spiegel, vice president of the local humane society board of directors. "We're hoping it's going to be a good thing this year."

There are pet photos with the animal's name and a brief description that can be placed with a small donation of food and/or a toy into a waiting drum. Those who wish can also make a monetary donation and hang a snowflake ornament onto the tree.

Judy and Duane Baggerly of Sebring picked a card from the tree for an older dachshund-mix named Dixie. They dropped a bag of food and treats into the society's blue drum at Petco.

"We're going to start volunteering at the shelter at the beginning of the year," said Judy Baggerly. "We have a 12 and a half year old poodle. When she's gone we're thinking about adopting another dog."

Barbara Clark is the president of the humane society board and also is employed as a team member at Petco.

"I've had three people here already (taking a card)," she said, adding that numerous cards had already been picked. "We really do live in a good county."

The idea to do trees to benefit the Humane Society was the idea of Spiegel, said Clark.

"She said, 'Why don't we do an angel tree like they do at other charities?'" said Clark. "Well, Petco has a "Tree of Hope."

According to Deana Anderson, general manager of the Petco store, the "Tree of Hope" is a Petco national program that they have done each year.

"This is the first year the Humane Society has brought in the cards," she said. "All the money we collect (from cash donations) goes to the Humane Society."

Just come in and fill out a snowflake card.

Monetary donors giving a gift of $20 to the Humane Society at Petco will receive a T-shirt; a $30 donation will yield a sweat shirt, provided by the Petco Foundation.

Gifts of food or pet toys go directly to the individual animals at the shelter.

Locally the foundation supports the Humane Society and the Doberman Rescue of Lake Placid.

Sharon Leister is the head volunteer coordinator at Petco for the Humane Society. She brought in five new 2-to-3 month-old kittens up for adoption to add to the others already settled in.

"I have five of my own," said Leister as she placed the frightened kittens into their new environment and tagged the cages with their names so anyone who adopts them knows the name and when they were born. "I started out with one before I started volunteering."

Malcolm and Molly were born in September and Sidney, Janet and Fluffy are siblings and were all born on Oct. 1, she said. Each comes with an identification chip.

"We have lots and lots more out at the shelter," she said.

They hope to have all the cats equipped with a chip by 2010.

On Friday and Saturday all adoption fees have been dropped. It will cost $50 to adopt a cat and $75 to adopt a dog. Normally the fees are $75 for cats and $125 for dogs. The same fees apply at the shelter, said Clark.

"We just want to get them into homes for the holidays," she said.

There are more then 125 animals in all.

From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 12, Petco will have its "Photos with Santa," to benefit the Humane Society. Bring in your family, your furry friends or even your not so furry friends and get your picture taken with Santa.

The cost is $8.95 plus tax for each photo with $5 going to the Humane Society to help a sheltered pet.

The Humane Society needs foster parents for the animals and volunteers. It also needs $75,000 to replace its cat adoption trailer with a new permanent building, said Clark.

"If we can get half way there I can get somebody to match it," she said.

Pet Supermarket

A Christmas tree has also been put up at Pet Supermarket Inc., located at 800 Sebring Square, Sebring, with card ornaments with individual pet's names to benefit the Humane Society of Highlands County.

The store is sponsoring the individual tree. Food and toy donations go directly to the sponsored animals and the store will accept check donations for the animal shelter.

Management at Pet Supermarket in Sebring declined to comment, referring all questions to the Humane Society.