Friday, 11 November, 2022
Whether you're a cat person or a dog person, if you're looking for a furry friend to bring home, try adoption. You can give a beautiful, caring home to an animal in desperate need of a loving family. The following shelters and organizations in the Savannah, Georgia, area help rescue and care for pets that have been abandoned or given up, preparing them to go home with a brand new family who will love them forever. Search the organizations below for your new animal companion.
Humane Society of Greater Savannah
Founded 55 years ago, the Humane Society of Greater Savannah prides itself on its reputation as one of the biggest no-kill shelters in the Savannah area. Located on Sallie Mood Drive, the shelter has a save rate of over 99%, and they helped rehome 2,655 pets in 2021 alone. The organization is funded by a mix of private donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations and the profits from its unique business idea, the "Pick of the Litter" thrift shop.
Come by to see the adorable cats and dogs housed in the shelter and decide which pet will be your new best friend. The society offers viewing hours for pets between Tuesday and Saturday, from 1 to 6 p.m. Adoptions here cost between $50 and $300 for dogs but include a slew of vaccines and testing, as well as spay or neuter surgery, which the shelter provides to customers.
Chatham County Animal Services
Visit the website of Chatham County Animal Services to browse through a list of available dogs and cats for adoption. You can pick your favorite, fill out your adoption application online, and then make an appointment with the shelter to see your prospective pet in person. Otherwise, drop by the store during open hours to view the available pets.
For dogs, you can expect to pay $70 in adoption fees, while the fee for cats is just $10. Chatham County Animal Services also charges a $5 tag/license fee for county residents. However, the cost includes spaying or neutering your future pet, which has usually already been performed prior to adoption. The shelter is located at 7211 Sallie Mood Drive, so stop by to see the pets yourself and decide if you want to be a new dog or cat owner.
Save-A-Life, Inc.
This admirable all-volunteer organization has been saving pet lives and providing loving homes to dogs and cats since 1967. Save-A-Life, Inc. holds pet viewings for people interested in adoption every Saturday from 12:30 to 2 p.m. at PetSmart on 11132 Abercorn St. in Savannah. Although potential adopters can swing by to view the pets, Save-A-Life, Inc. has a lot of potential animals for adoption, and not all of them will be shown every Saturday.
The staff encourages you to visit the website, view all available adoptable pets, and then submit an adoption application online. As a follow-up, contact the foster family that's currently listed as taking care of the pet you want to adopt. This way, you can get pre-approved for adoption, and then the shelter guarantees your prospective pet will be brought to PetSmart so you can meet them before taking them home.
Coastal Pet Rescue
Of all the organizations on this list, Coastal Pet Rescue particularly focuses on saving abused, neglected, and abandoned pets in the greater Savannah area and getting them off the streets or out of abusive home environments. The nonprofit provides medical care and sterilization for the pets it rescues, as well as social rehabilitation so any behavioral problems or fear pets experience as a result of an abusive background can be treated.
The organization is relatively young, as it was established in February 2003. However, its volunteers are absolutely dedicated to providing the best possible training and eventual homes for the pets they rescue. Potential applicants are thoroughly screened, and adoption is conducted by appointment only, as Coastal Pet Rescue is an all-volunteer organization.
Go to the shelter's website to complete an adoption application. Once approved, you can schedule an appointment to meet your pet and take it home. The shelter offers a complimentary 30-day PetFirst insurance policy adopters must call to activate. Kittens cost $60 to adopt, cats $50, puppies $250, adults dogs $200, and senior dogs (7 years or older) $100.
The adoption fees you give to Coastal Pet Rescue include shots, microchipping, a heartworm test for dogs, a feline immunodeficiency virus test for cats, spaying or neutering, and deworming. The fees are quite reasonable for all the procedures and medical care they cover, as all these procedures done at a private veterinary clinic would add up to a lot more money.
One Love Animal Rescue
The nonprofit organization One Love Animal Rescue partners with shelters and rescue groups to make sure abandoned or mistreated animals, as well as animals that were willingly surrendered to be rehomed, can find a loving new home and family to take them in.
To adopt a pet from One Love Animal Rescue, complete and submit an adoption application. Upon approval, you can schedule a meeting to see your pet and then prepare for a home inspection — the last step before you can bring your furry new companion home. The organization requires that each member of the adopter's household meet the pet, and the pet must live indoors, as many of them have already had hard lives and need all the love and comfort they can get.
Dog adoptions cost $200, kittens $85, and cats $55. Fees cover microchipping, vaccination, testing, and spaying or neutering. One Love Animal Rescue is a great shelter for first-time pet owners to adopt from. Along with dog adoptions, the shelter provides six group puppy classes or two private classes to help new owners train and bond with their new dogs.
Adopt, don't shop, and give an animal that needs a loving family home. If you have other suggestions we might have missed for pet adoption centers in the Savannah area, please contact us at Vaden Automotive and let us know.Animal Shelter by daveparker is licensed with CC BY 2.0.