Mayor declares November senior pet adoption month

Senior pets may not be as energetic as the younger ones, but they do have other redeeming qualities like calm personalities and appreciation for a loving home.

Mayor Mark Kruzan declared November as Adopt a Senior Pet Month in Bloomington.

Adopt a Senior Pet Month is a nationally recognized program to help older animals that arrive at shelters throughout the U.S.

Pets Alive Spay/Neuter Clinic of Bloomington, along with the City of Bloomington Animal Shelter, is promoting the adoption month event by co-sponsoring senior pet adoption fee discounts of $45 to anyone looking to adopt a cat or dog five years of age or older. The adjusted adoption fee for older animals this month is now $10.

All pets from the Bloomington Animal Shelter have received a first round of vaccinations, microchip identification, spay or neuter surgery, feline leukemia and FIV testing for cats and heartworm testing for dogs.  

The adoption fee also includes one free visit to a local veterinary office. These included services would total almost $200 combined if paid for by the adoptee personally.

“Pets Alive was originally formed to promote adoption of shelter animals,” James McNamara, executive director of Pets Alive said in a press release. “While our mission is now focused on saving lives by spaying and neutering, adoption remains near and dear to our hearts.”

Adoptable animals can be visited Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon at the Bloomington Community Farmers Market or viewed on the shelter’s website at
www.bloomington.in.gov/animalshelter.

— Amanda Jacobson