Staff Report, Mason County Extra Edition

POINT PLEASAT — The Mason County Animal Shelter has some “pawsitively” awesome news which staff hope will place animals in loving homes thanks to a generous $7,500 “grant investment” it will receive from national nonprofit Petco Love, which will pay all adoption fees, July 5 – 14.

In addition to its regular business hours of noon – 4 p.m., Monday – Friday, the shelter was also open noon – 4 p.m., this past Saturday, July 8. Preview the shelter’s animals at 24petconnect.com and use zip code 25550.

Mason County Extra Edition spoke with Mason County Animal Shelter Manager Denee Sidenstricker who explained the adoption fees will include spay/neuter, up-to-date vaccines and a lifetime microchip service. Sidenstricker also stated there is an application process for adoptions but it is the same application process that was in place prior to the grant award. The only difference is, Petco Love is paying the bill for approved adoptions through July 14.

The welcome news of the grant comes at a time when the shelter is at maximum capacity. There are also dozens of cats on a waiting list to be brought into the shelter. By adopting out pets to loving homes, it frees up space for another animal in need, though the goal is always to “clear the shelter,” so that no pet is without their person(s).

“Whether you are looking for a young animal or have it in your heart to help a senior animal we have you covered with over 45 dogs and 17 cats,” Sidenstricker stated via email to Mason County Extra Edition.

A joint press release from the shelter and Petco Love about the grant investment, Petco Love is a, “national nonprofit leading change for pets by harnessing the power of love to make communities and pet families closer, stronger, and healthier. Since its founding in 1999, Petco Love has invested $350 million in adoption and other lifesaving efforts. And Petco Love helps find loving homes for pets in partnership with Petco and more than 4,000 organizations — like ours — across North America, with 6.7 million pets adopted and counting.”

“Our investment in Mason County Animal Shelter is part of more than $15 million in investments recently announced by Petco Love to power local organizations across the country as part of our commitment to create a future in which no pet is unnecessarily euthanized,” stated Susanne Kogut, president of Petco Love, via the press release. “Our local investments are only part of our strategy to empower animal lovers to drive lifesaving change right alongside us. We recently launched Petco Love Lost, a national lost and found database that uses patented image-recognition technology to simplify the search for lost pets.”

“Without this additional lifesaving investment from Petco Love, we could not save as many lives as we are right now,” Sidenstricker stated via the press release. “Petco Love’s investments make it possible for us to provide more adoptions and medical care to the pets in our shelter.”

Also, according to the press release, “Mason County Animal Shelter is a nonprofit organization that cares for cats and dogs, serving Mason County. Since the beginning of 2023, Mason County Animal Shelter has taken in 242 animals and has been able to save 188 pets through adoption, but we’re always looking to do more for our community through spay/neuter education, low income spay/neuter services, and vaccination clinics.”

“If you have been considering a dog or cat for your home, now is the time,” Sidenstricker said.  

The shelter is located at 1965 Fairground Road, near the Mason County Fairgrounds and next to the Mason County Solid Waste Authority.  

For more information about the Mason County Animal Shelter, visit its Facebook page by searching “Mason County WV Animal Shelter.” The shelter can also be reached by calling 304-675-6458. Learn more about Petco Love here: petcolove.org.

Additional information from the press release:

About Mason County Animal Shelter

Our mission is to provide shelter, care, and comfort to our companion animals until adoption and to educate the community on the importance of spay/neuter to reduce pet overpopulation.

About Petco Love

Petco Love is a life-changing nonprofit organization that makes communities and pet families closer, stronger, and healthier. Since our founding in 1999 as the Petco Foundation, we’ve empowered animal welfare organizations by investing $350 million in adoption and other lifesaving efforts. We’ve helped find loving homes for more than 6.7 million pets in partnership with Petco and organizations nationwide.

Our love for pets drives us to lead with innovation, creating tools animal lovers need to reunite lost pets, and lead with passion, inspiring and mobilizing communities and our more than 4,000 animal welfare partners to drive lifesaving change alongside us. Join us. Visit petcolove.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to be part of the lifesaving work we lead every day.

Editor’s note: Some information for this article provided via a joint press release for Petco Love and the Mason County Animal Shelter. Beth Sergent also contributed to this story for Mason County Extra Edition.

(Editor’s Note on accessibility: Mason County Extra Edition attempts to use accessible fonts and alternative text for photographs, to be inclusive of all readers.)