Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 64F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph..
Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 64F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph.
Around 25 dogs, including several puppies, were available for adoption Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022, at the first KNID Pet Project.
The first KNID Pet Project was held Saturday to benefit the Enid Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
KNID, in partnership with RE/MAX and Jacksons of Enid, hosted the first KNID Pet Project to benefit the ESPCA. Pictured is a dog washing station.
Around 25 dogs, including several puppies, were available for adoption Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022, at the first KNID Pet Project.
The first KNID Pet Project was held Saturday to benefit the Enid Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
KNID, in partnership with RE/MAX and Jacksons of Enid, hosted the first KNID Pet Project to benefit the ESPCA. Pictured is a dog washing station.
ENID, Okla. — The first KNID Pet Project took place Saturday in the hopes of finding homes for a few dozen dogs in the care of the Enid Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Hosted by radio station KNID, Jacksons of Enid and RE/MAX, the event was held in support of ESPCA after a distemper outbreak shut down the shelter for a few weeks during the summer.
Distemper is a disease carried by wild animals that can be easily transmitted and can be deadly for young dogs.
“I’ve been doing this for 24 years, and this is the first year I’ve ever seen distempter,” Vickie Grantz, executive director of ESPCA said. “It’s a virus that’s carried by wild animals ... raccoons, coyotes, skunks. Dogs can get it from saliva. So if you have outdoor dogs and you have a water bowl or a food bowl and the raccoon is carrying it, they can carry it without being ill. If they reach in and grab food, they can contaminate that food bowl.”
Grantz said parvo is seen every year and has a survival rate of about 90%. Distemper can be a much more devastating disease for puppies.
“So it’s just super important that we get our animals vaccinated and to just know, just because they are in your backyard doesn’t mean they’re safe from some diseases,” Grantz said.
Grantz said they had about 25 dogs for adoption Saturday and still have some at the shelter available for adoption. The KNID Pet Project is a type of event that can allow animals in the care of ESPCA and animals in foster homes to be brought to the same location for the potential of being adopted.
“A lot of our offsite events are a great opportunity for foster families to bring their dogs out to be viewed by the public,” Grantz said. “And the foster is the perfect person to communicate with someone who is interested in a dog. They know their behavior ... so fosters really play a huge role in helping us to get these animals homes.”
She said adult volunteers can become an advocate for an individual animal, which can help the animal get adopted more easily.
Kimberly Crist, the new promotions director for KNID, said the idea for the event came after hearing of the troubles faced by the ESPCA during the summer distemper outbreak.
“It hindered their donations. Through that, I don’t think the public realized they still had puppies that were available for adoption,” Crist said. “They went through a really hard time with the sickness in the shelter, so we saw an opportunity to jump in and help and try to get the community involved with some donations and some adoptions to get some of these sweet puppies adopted. They’ve got tons of cute ones.”
Matt Cruz of KNID said because this is the first year for the event, there wasn’t a goal of money to raise or animals to be adopted. He said KNID does similar events for charity throughout the year, and next year’s Pet Project event will be geared to surpass this year’s once they know how successful it is.
Jaymi Jander, director of sales for KNID, said there were many things needed by the shelter that may not be thought of by everyone when they think of an animal shelter.
“There’s a lot more to it, too, than adoptions,” Jander said. “In the shelter, they have to have food to feed them, shampoo to wash them, volunteers, and blankets, and towels to clean up poop ... you wouldn’t even think about that, but they need it.”
Grantz said she was pleased with how busy Saturday’s event became following the closure of the shelter for a few weeks during the summer. She said the event also served as a chance to learn more about how people can help ESPCA.
“It’s busy, really busy, which is awesome,” Grantz said. “It’s been kind of a difficult summer for animal welfare, and to be able to see this many interested in adopting puppies or just learning more about the Enid SPCA, learning what it’s like to be a foster home for a dog.”
Community involvement and the success of the ESPCA go hand in hand. Grantz said they couldn’t do it without the community, and getting to interact with people helps bring out the reasons why they do what they do.
“It’s very important. It gives us a chance to engage with the people in our community who love animals and love the same mission that we do,” Grantz said. “It invigorates us to get other people excited about what we do. It kind of gives us a second wind and allows us to get excited again about what we do.”
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