Animal groups find pets new homes

Amanda Christenhusz volunteer with Boxers and Buddies poses with Sagan and Mounted Posse President Maura Mekenas-Parga and Hypatia. Sagan and Hypatia are siblings. Mekenas-Parga was thinking about adopting Hypatia Saturday.

Amanda Christenhusz volunteer with Boxers and Buddies poses with Sagan and Mounted Posse President Maura Mekenas-Parga and Hypatia. Sagan and Hypatia are siblings. Mekenas-Parga was thinking about adopting Hypatia Saturday.
Photo by Sarah Drinkwine.

By Sarah Drinkwine

Tuesday, May 3, 2022

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More than a dozen pets found homes Saturday during National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse and The Douglas County Animal Shelter hosted events to raise awareness, funds and forever homes for rescued and sheltered animals.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse hosted a benefit event for Animal Rescue Relay at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. The event featured adoptable dogs, a spay and neuter and chipping clinic, and a raffle. Many vendors including; Pet Station, Pet CBD-immune Support, Capones’ Helping Paws, food and drinks from Shoetree Brewery Co. and Capital Brewery, and other local craftsman and businesses came to support and raise funds for the organization.
“We’re here for the animals and their rescuers,” said Douglas County Mounted Posse President Maura Mekenas-Parga. “There’s a lot of people who can’t afford to spay and neuter, so, we’re trying to raise funds to have that available to people and to spread awareness about adopting and the benefits it brings.”
Founded in 2017 by Jean Feil, Heidi Neilson and Nikki Foster, Animal Rescue Relay is a 501(c) charitable organization dedicated to the transportation and rehoming of shelter and rescue animals.
“We depend on our donors. Not everyone is able to transport or foster a pet, but our generous donors make a vital contribution that allows us to take good care of these animals,” said Neilson.
Aside from the event on Saturday Animal Rescue Relay also recently received a $5,000 donation from Country singer Miranda Lambert’s MuttNation Foundation and Tractor Supply through MuttNation’s Mutts Across America program.
“We were really honored to get this,” said Animal Rescue Relay director Kelly Pettit-Lopez. “Angela, one of our volunteers and myself wrote the letter and we were in shock when we heard.”
Pettit-Lopez said the donation went to aid some of the Relay’s medically challenged dogs.  She said that the group really needs donations and people willing to foster dogs while they wait to be transported.
“We have to turn dogs down because we don’t have fosters,” she said. “For every dog that doesn’t have a foster there’s a good chance it’s going to be euthanized.”
The Douglas County Mounted Posse spear headed the Saturday event to help raise funds and awareness about Animal Rescue Relay and what they do for shelter pets. For more information visit www.animalrescuerelay.org 
Across the street from the fairgrounds at the Douglas County Animal Shelter, people of all ages from Gardnerville and Minden, Carson City and Wellington lined up for the shelter’s adoption event eager to either take home a pet or take advantage of the Dog License drive, vaccines and spay and neuter programs the shelter was offering. 
Douglas County Animal Services Officer Tylar Ferriera said seven dogs, one adult cat, one rabbit and seven kittens were adopted during Saturday’s event.
During the event, spay and neuter fees were covered by DAWG, Rabies were covered by DCAS and a free rabies voucher was free with the purchase of a Douglas County Dog License.
Many animals at the shelter are still in need of a forever home. For more information visit the shelter on Facebook at Douglas County Animal Services or call 775-782-9061.

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