For Vance County Animal Services Director William Coker, the name of the game is cultivating partnerships. Community partners raise awareness when it comes to reducing the pet population. Corporate partners provide space for adoption and vaccination events. And, individual partners fall in love with the cutest little pups or kittens and give them forever homes.

Partnerships are what keep Coker and his staff hopeful that animals find their way out of the shelter and are adopted into households where they’ll get the care they deserve.

There are several upcoming adoption events at area retailers for prospective pet owners, as well as a rabies vaccination clinic where dogs and cats can get their annual – and state-mandated – rabies vaccine for just $5.

The first adoption/vaccination clinic will take place Saturday, Aug. 10 at Tractor Supply from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

“We have people who come every year to get their dog or cat updated on rabies,” Coker said on Monday’s TownTalk.

If you bring your pet for its rabies shot and want to take a look inside the adoption trailer, Coker said that’ll be just fine.

The next two clinics will take place on the same day – Saturday Aug. 24 – one at Cross Creek Outdoor Supply and another at Petco, located on U.S. 158 Bypass.

The Cross Creek clinic will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the Petco clinic will operate from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, Coker noted.

In addition to providing a location for the community clinics, Coker said he’s grateful to local retailers who donate pet food to the shelter.

“They’re a big help to us,” he said. “They donate to the shelter and in return, (we) donate it out into the community.”

It’s difficult to see pet owners surrender family pets to the shelter because they can no longer provide for them. Coker and his staff try to help in any way they can to keep pets out of the shelter. Sometimes, a donation of pet food is all they need.

“We do have a lot of people who are up against it,” Coker said of the financial strain that faces some pet owners. “We take each surrender case by case,” he said, adding that he and his staff can offer a solution for a short period of time, they’ll do it.

But they can’t do it alone. “We’re bringing in a lot of animals,” he said. Intake usually goes up in the summer months, but this summer has been unusually high. One recent day saw 33 animals come into the shelter. In July, the shelter took in 70 kittens alone.

Over the past few months, Ruin Creek Animal Protection Society has been able to remove 90 kittens and cats from the shelter and transport them to points North, where they can be adopted through a number of rescue organizations.

“Ruin Creek is my best friend,” Coker said.

RCAPS helps by physically moving dogs and cats from the Vance County shelter to rescues and adoption groups up the East Coast. Over the past few months, RCAPS has taken 90 kittens and cats on their freedom ride to forever homes.

It’s not a problem unique to Vance County, Coker said. The wave of kittens and puppies is a direct result of curtailed spay and neuter programs forced during COVID-19.

“We push our spay and neuter programs hard,” he said. Residents who receive any type of government assistance can have their pet spayed or neutered at the shelter free of charge.

Even if you don’t receive any government assistance, the price to spay and neuter is still reasonable, he said. Call the shelter to set up an appointment.

“That’s all we have to combat this,” Coker said, referring to the no-cost/low-cost spay and neuter program. “The main thing, though, is to stop the problem. Adoption clinics and rescue groups in other parts of the country are solutions to the ongoing challenge of pet over-population.

The Vance County Animal Shelter is open to the public Tuesday-Thursday 10 a.m to 2 p.m. and half-days every other Friday and Saturday. You can also call the shelter at 252.492.3136 on Mondays between 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to make a spay/neuter appointment.

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