BELLA VISTA -- Puppies and dogs may be cute, and cats and kittens may be cuddly, but that doesn't mean they make great Christmas presents, according to a local animal shelter official.
"Do not gift animals. They are not gifts," said Laurie May, who is the manager of the Bella Vista Animal Shelter.
While the thought behind giving the gift of a new pet may be from the heart, too many times the person receiving the gift may not be fully commited to the idea or to the specific animal being gifted, which means the animal will more than likely end up being passed on to someone else or sent to a shelter, May said.
"You don't want the idea of, 'I'm getting a dog and giving it to somebody,' and then it gets dumped out," she said.
A better option, May said, is the gift of paying for the adoption of a shelter animal in the name of the prospective recipient.
"Now, if they want to sponsor the adoption for somebody, that they can do," May said. "But even then I want the person the animal's going to to come and pick out their own animal."
May said recipients who have had an adoption paid for in their name will receive a card saying that donation has been done for them.
Also, anyone can make a donation to the shelter to cover the cost of an adoption for someone else, even if they don't have anyone in mind as a recipient of the donated funds.
Adoption costs are $60 for dogs and $45 for cats. Those fees include spaying/neutering at selected veterinary clinics, first vaccination (fvrcp or dhlpp), an age-appropriate rabies vaccination, worming and microchipping.
To begin the process, a person must complete an application online at www.bellavista-animalshelter.org or at the shelter. There will then be a waiting period of 24-48 hours while the information is confirmed. A shelter staff member will then call that person when they have been approved.
Getting its residents into their new forever homes is the main goal of the shelter, but there are several behind-the-scenes functions that must happen to keep the process going. That's where people can also help.
While covid concerns have put a halt to the shelter's ability to welcome volunteers at this time, the community can help by not just donating funds to cover adoptions, but also by donating money in general or giving items like cleaning supplies or food for the animals.
"We always need cleaning supplies," May said. "We are always out. And now we're having trouble getting some of the items we need."
She added, "We definitely need gently used blankets. We go through a lot of them. We use the same ones all year round, but people think about it more in the winter."
May said donations of clean blankets -- whether new or used -- are very much appreciated.
"We don't really want to take dirty blankets in because we have so much laundry to do every day as it is," she said. "If people could clean them before bringing them in it would be so much nicer."
The shelter has a wish list on Amazon.com and has also posted this list on its website of some of the most common items needed:
• High-quality dry dog food and dry cat food (i.e. Purina One, Nutro, Pure Balance, Rachel Ray)
• Purina Dry Kitten Chow and Fancy Feast canned kitten food
• Purina One Dry Puppy Food
• Clay Cat Litter
• Kitchen trash bags (13 gallon)
• Large heavy duty trash bags (33 gallon)
• Paper towels
• Bleach
• Liquid laundry detergent
• Dryer sheets
• Dish soap
• Odo Ban Sanitizer
• Gently used and clean blankets and rugs (with rubber backs)
The shelter is located at 32 Bella Vista Way. Its phone number is 479-855-6020, and it is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.