The dog days of Christmas

Adding a furry friend to the family during the holiday season

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According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, roughly 7.3 million dogs and cats enter shelters nationwide each year, and 2.7 million of them are euthanized.

Fortunately, at places like the Ruff House Rescue in Freeport, there is also an increase in volunteers this season who help ensure that animals find the right homes during the holidays.

“This time of year especially, everybody’s really on board with volunteering and helping out,” said Diane Indelicato, the director and founder of RHR. “It’s the season of giving, so this is a good time of year.”

Indelicato, who grew up in East Rockaway and is now a Long Beach resident, cautioned that not everyone is suited for dog or cat ownership, despite the bump in interest in November and December.

“Pets are a minimum 10-year commitment,” Indelicato said. “They require daily care and medical needs. They are not gifts, as the decision to bring a pet into a home should be a well-thought-out process.” She added that in order to adopt pets, potential owners must go through an application process, which sometimes includes a home visit to see if they can properly house an animal.

Indelicato founded RHR in 2009 to provide a rescue facility for dogs and cats in need of new homes. She said the staff spays and neuters animals, and even inserts microchips in the backs of their necks with a serial numbers that help track the pets should they stray from their new homes. The kennel has moved many times since it first opened, and Indelicato said she hopes to expand to a bigger facility with a large yard for the animals one day.

“We are constantly bringing in new pets,” she said. “Almost every week we bring in new dogs.”

Indelicato noted that she has roughly 30 dogs and 10 cats in the facility and usually has dozens of animals coming in as others are adopted out.

To help fund the rescue work, Indelicato recently returned to East Rockaway to run a new thrift store, Thrifty Pawz, slated to open on Nov. 29. At the shop, patrons can purchase apparel for pets and humans, dishes, giftware and candles, toys and food for pets.

Indelicato’s store is at 4 Centre Ave., down the street from Centre Avenue Elementary School, which she attended as a child. All of the items that are for sale were donated, and Indelicato said it is staffed by volunteers. More donations and more volunteers are always welcomed, Indelicato added.

“All the volunteers are very passionate,” she said, “because they meet the animals and spend time with them and love them. We want to make sure they get new homes. We’re so happy to see them go and happy when we get new ones because we know they’re safe.”

Finding a home for the holidays

The Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter, is waiving the pet adoption fee is being waived through Jan. 3 as part of town Supervisor Anthony Santino’s Home for the Holidays program.

“We’re practically giving these animals away to the right home,” said Shelter Director Mike Pastore, “and the shelter is always crowded.”

Pastore said that the facility houses about 125 dogs and 50 cats and that there are roughly 100 volunteers who walk the dogs and speak to potential pet owners. The shelter also sends special trainers to homes in cases where animals are having trouble adapting to their new environments.

Pastore said he hopes the free adoption promotion will see a spike in the number of animals being rescued, but he emphasized that potential owners need to provide the sort of attention their new pets will need.

“First of all, if they’re looking to adopt, they want to make sure they’re ready for the commitment of several years of taking care of the animal,” Pastore said. “It’s also about providing all the necessary food, water and love for their pet and they’re gonna get a lot back in return.”

To adopt a pet, potential owners must fill out an application, answer a small questionnaire and go through a reference check. Pastore said there’s also an occasional home visit involved. At the kennel, animals are spayed, neutered and have microchips implanted.

Pastore advises new owners to spend time helping the animals get acclimated to their new environments, show them a lot of love and not to take any extended absences from the home.

“If you’re ready for a pet, if you thought about it and you’re ready for it, now is definitely a good time, especially with the shelter providing free adoptions,” he said. “Just make sure you’re ready for it. You wouldn’t want to spring a pet on someone who isn’t really sure.”