The Lakewood Animal Shelter - Another Option For Pet Adoption
Let’s be honest…Lakewoodites loves their pets! The companionship, the love, the fun…more and more people are choosing to have a pet become a part of their family. If you are thinking about a new pet you are probably thinking about such things as having enough space for their needs, the time commitment, maybe adopt; the variables are endless but a necessary and important part of the decision-making process. If you have been considering bringing in a new addition to your family, hopefully this article will aid you in that process.
The Lakewood Animal Shelter is another place that families can keep in mind if they have decided on adopting a dog or cat. The Shelter is a bit of a hidden resource to our community; hence this article is aimed at raising awareness of the services that they do provide in regard to rescuing and recovering stray or abandoned animals in the city of Lakewood since 1985. If a stray animal, mostly a cat or a dog, is recovered or has been rescued due to abandonment in the city of Lakewood, generally speaking, it will end up in the Lakewood Animal Shelter.
When the animals come to the shelter they first go through an incubation or “watch” period, of 24 hours for cats or 72 hours for dogs, where they are observed for temperament and health. Once they are determined to be healthy and safe for adoption, they are given additional medical attention, a flea bath, and even spayed or neutered. Then, and here is where you would come in, they wait.
Then they wait for a new owner or family that will come and take them home!
The Lakewood Animal Shelter is actually a division of the Lakewood Police Department. The officers on hand do a wonderful job with the rescue and recovery part, but need help in the area of fostering or adopting out the animals that they eventually house at the shelter for as long as time and space allow. The recently remodeled and expanded Lakewood Animal Shelter can now hold up to 18 cats and 6 dogs at a time. Fostering and adopting the cats and dogs that come into the shelter to loving homes is important to ensure that there is the continual space and resources for all the animals that would be rescued or recovered throughout the year.
By now you might be saying, “Great, I’m interested! What’s the next step?” One extremely helpful organization that aids the Lakewood Animal Shelter with the animals that are available for fostering or adopting is the CCLAS (pronounced “claws”) - Citizens Committee for the Lakewood Animal Shelter. They are the driving force behind so much of the care, volunteering, finding foster homes, showcasing pets for adopting, and all the fundraising that is necessary for the support of the animals that are housed at the Lakewood Animal Shelter.
Visit www.CCLAS.org for a current look at pictures of the animals that are up for adoption or call the shelter directly at 216.529.5020. The cost to adopt is only $35 and a little paperwork. Making the decision to own a pet is definitely life-changing and an important one. Please consider choosing adopting an abandoned or rescued animal to make that life-changing decision positively affect one of these well-deserving animals as well.
The Lakewood Animal Shelter is located at 1699 Metropark Drive. Take a left (south) onto Valley Park Way off of Detroit Ave into the Metro Park. They are the next drive on the left just past the Lakewood Dog Park. They are open Tues-Sat, Noon-4pm with extended hours on Tues and Thurs till 6pm. They are closed Mon. and Sun.
A few things to keep in mind: 1) If you have lost a pet in the city of Lakewood you should check with the shelter to see if they were picked up and brought in. 2) Due to limited resources and responsibilities of the shelter they will NOT take in animals whose current owners no longer desire them and want to drop off or surrender them at the door.
Michael Samulak
Michael Samulak has close to twenty years of experience teaching, mentoring, writing and engaging youth both in and outside of the classroom. Mr. Samulak has been happily married to his wife Jamie for the last 16 years. The couple have five beautiful children together and are invested and work in the Lakewood communtiy.