Adventure buddy: Woods Humane Society holds adoption promo 

Transitioning from spring to summer on the Central Coast usually means more warm weather, days at the beach, and nights in front of a bonfire.

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• Photo Courtesy Of Woods Humane Society
• FOREVER FRIEND Adult dogs (like Monch, pictured here) are readily available to be anyone's next adventure buddy thanks to the special promotion running from July 7 to 17.

But it also means more puppies and kittens, and no group has been more impacted by the seasonal burst of animal youth than adult dogs.

"Whenever someone adopts an adult dog, it frees up space for the new incoming dogs to take at kennels and shelters," Emily L'Heureux said. "We just had another huge kitten season, and last spring was also a huge puppy season so we need as much help as we can get in finding these adult dogs a home."

L'Heureux, who serves as the CEO of Woods Humane Society, said that her organization is running a special promotion to help around 100 adult dogs find forever homes.

"Any adult dog—which starts at 5 months through the rest of the dog's life—will be part of this pick-your-own-price promotion from July 7 to July 17," she said. "People can choose what they want to give, but our goal is to encourage people to come and find their new best friend."

L'Heureux clarified that this means people can give as much or as little as they want and only have to pay for the SLO County dog license, which costs around $30 and includes the rabies shot that is required.

"Typically, our adult dog adoption price is $150, so this is a really good opportunity for anyone to come in who maybe has thought of getting a dog but might have been worried about the cost," she said.

Founded in 1955, Woods is a privately funded nonprofit animal sheltering and welfare organization that annually places upward of 3,000 dogs and cats into loving homes.

"We can't work where we work and not end up being an adopter ourselves," she said. "A couple of years ago I adopted this 95-pound adult Doberman mix and he is so perfect and excellent that it really has reaffirmed my faith in helping adult dogs find homes."

New canine companions adopted via the promotion—which are already spayed and neutered—will also get a free health check at a local pet clinic and receive a small bag of dog food to get things off the ground.

"We want to make the process of adoption as easy for the new families as possible," she said. "So with everything we are providing, we will also have a small retail station that will have leashes and toys available for purchase."

Woods currently has a wide range of breeds available for adoption under this promotion including pugs, chihuahuas, huskies, American bulldogs, German shepherds, and more.

"If you want to come in and pay $5 for a husky, by all means please do so," L'Heureux said. "With how overwhelmed the shelters are these days, we need all the adopter support we can get to find these dogs a home."

Traditionally, Woods sees people prioritize adopting puppies, but there are benefits to adopting adult dogs, according to L'Heureux.

"Adults dogs have better attitudes and longer attention spans—not to malign puppies because there is nothing cuter than a puppy," she said with a chuckle. "But there is something nice about knowing the dog has a developed personality and can easily learn commands—which isn't easy to do with puppies."

She's hopeful that with this event's potential success, Woods can explore other opportunities later in the year similar to this promotion. However, she did stress that like anything in the animal shelter world, their focus is to be reactive to the needs of the community around them first and foremost.

"We are always trying to be creative in how we find homes for whatever group of animals it is we need to assist, whether that's dogs or cats," L'Heureux said. "We have several more events like this planned but they are more reactive events based on the needs at the time."

In the end, her goal and the goal of the Woods Humane Society of finding these dogs a home will give the new families a true companion to take along with them through life.

"We do want this to be like, 'Hey now's the time to come pick out your adventure buddy'" L'Heureux said. "Whatever your adventure might be—whether that is going for a hike and exploring nature or staying inside and curling up on the couch—no matter what, there is a dog out there for you."

Fast fact

•The U.S. Small Business Administration announced that residents affected by the winter storms this year will be able to apply for SBA Disaster Assistance loans. Homeowners can receive up to $240,000, renters can receive up to $40,000, and businesses and nonprofit organizations can receive up to $2 million in assistance. For more information on how to apply and the interest rates on the loan, visit sba.gov. Δ

Reach Staff Writer Adrian Vincent Rosas at [email protected].