Animal adoption costs less for Valentine's Day holiday

Nobody wants to be alone on Valentine’s Day.

That’s why the City of Bloomington Animal Care and Control is giving people the opportunity to connect with that special someone — a dog, cat or rabbit — for just $40 from Feb. 13-19.

The $40 adoption fee covers the first round of vaccinations, a visit to the veterinary office, heartworm testing for dogs or feline leukemia for cats, microchip identification, and spay or neuter surgery.  

Normally, the adoption, which also covers the health services, is $75 for cats and dogs younger than 5 years old or $55 for those that are older than 5 years.  

This is the second year the shelter has had the “My Furry Valentine” adoption event.  

Laurie Ringquist, the director of Animal Care and Control, said the shelter frequently promotes specials to encourage more people to adopt.

“People want to come in and make a connection with an animal and that’s what we want, too,” Ringquist said. “We don’t want them to pick this animal just because it’s cheaper. We want them to pick the animal because they have a connection.”

The shelter, which is open seven days a week, takes in animals from other counties  for a small surrender fee and rarely sends patrol officers into the city to pick up strays.

Jason Tharp, a senior from Bloomington High School South who has been volunteering at the shelter for three years, said they’ve taken in rats, reptiles, horses and llamas.

“We take pretty much anything,” Tharp said. “In most cases they’re stray.”

On average, two-thirds of the 4,000 animals they take annually are stray animals. Ringquist said about 60 percent of the animals are adopted per year. More dogs than cats are adopted, she said.

The shelter has three separate rooms for cats, most of which are adult cats. Some of the animals have been there for more than a year without being adopted.

Bloomington resident Kristin Arnold and her two daughters visit the shelter about once a month to play with the cats. Arnold said she grew up with animals but that right now, her family won’t adopt because of her husband’s job.

“We travel a lot,” Arnold said. “Having another pet at home would be another labor of difficulty. Looking at the kittens is the next best thing to owning one.”

Ringquist said her job can be emotionally consuming and that she makes sure to separate her personal and professional life.

“When you see the day-to-day progress we make and all the animals that go home with somebody else, there’s not that sense of urgency that I have to personally take them home,” Ringquist said. “You just have to go in, knowing you can’t (adopt).”