Amber Tickle holds a cat that was up for adoption at Pet Supplies Plus on Saturday. Local dogs and cats of all ages from babies to elderly were all looking for loving families with forever homes!
Richard Parrish | The Lima News
LIMA — Amber Tickle adopted a gray, short-haired cat Saturday afternoon at Pet Supplies Plus on Cable Road in Lima. Tickle, a former cat owner with three boys, said the family was in search of a new pet.
”I was on Facebook and came across the event. I’d been looking for a cat for a while, so we decided to stop out and see what we could find.”
Tickle was one of many potential adoptive pet parents who stopped by the Deb’s Dogs pet adoption event for free ice cream and a chance to consider a new addition to their family.
Since 2008, Debbie Helser, the founder and director of Deb’s Dogs (debsdogs.org), has been rescuing stray, sick and injured animals predominantly in Allen County and placing them in foster homes until they are adopted. They average 350 to 400 rescues a year.
The program has over 100 cats and about 30 dogs currently in need of a permanent home. These animals are in addition to ones at The Humane Society of Allen County.
“It’s kitten season and we are both completely full,” Helser said. “They are at maximum capacity too.”
“Because we don’t have a facility, we need visibility. That’s why Pet Supplies Plus is such a wonderful rescue partner to us,” Helser said, “They do everything to aid us, and a few cats are available for adoption at the front of the store all the time.”
A hoarding case in Cincinnati led to Helser helping out an overburdened rescue by taking in a pregnant dog that gave birth. Heaven, Homer, and Harmony, three Jack Russel Terrier-looking 11-week-old puppies, were at the event and available for adoption. Jennifer Dodds of Shawnee Township had cared for them. Dodds said she has volunteered to take in foster animals for Deb’s Dogs since 2013.
When doing placements, Helser said, “I try really hard to find the right fit for both the family and the animal so it works for their lifetime.”
“The good thing about fostering is that they live in a home with a family so we get to learn all about them, so when someone adopts, I can tell them they are good with kids or with other cats or dogs, if they are house trained, or have anxiety. That way the people that adopt have full disclosure,” Helser said.
The rescue organization’s next adoption venue will be National Night Out in Shawnee Township from 6-9 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 2, Heritage Park, 2092 Reed Road, Lima.
To view some of the pets available for adoption through Debbie’s Dogs, visit petfinder.com.
