00:00So, I'm here with our animal-loving friend, Sunny Knoll from the Randolph Regional Animal Shelter.
00:09Sunny is the shelter manager. Sunny is also an animal control officer, too.
00:14Don't mess with Sunny.
00:16And I'm here with Seth. He's the mascot today.
00:18So, we were thinking for 2025, you know, the new year is here,
00:22and maybe you're thinking of bringing in a shelter pet.
00:26Maybe a dog. Maybe a cat. You have brought chinchillas here and rats here.
00:30We've had a little taste of everything.
00:32There's always birds. There's always, you know, amazing animals in your local shelters looking for a new home.
00:39So, son, I'm going to ask you for three things that people should remember when adopting a new furry family member.
00:47Well, what I'll say is when people visit our shelter, they get a kind of a first impression of the animals,
00:55and sometimes that's not the true reading of how the animal will be.
01:00They're very excited to see people and strangers, and some of them look, you know, a little bit more excited than they normally are.
01:07We had a dog that was passed up for a year because he looked very excitable and out of control in the kennel,
01:15and as long as someone gave him a few minutes to calm down, you could see he was such a nice dog.
01:24He landed a great home. He goes on vacations.
01:28So, I would say don't judge a book by its cover.
01:31Don't go based on your first impression.
01:34Spend a little time, if it's possible, to let the animal in your presence while you're there to adopt, calm down.
01:45See if they'll allow you, if it's a dog, to take them on a walk.
01:48If there's another room that you can go in separate from the actual shelter environment,
01:54we offer foster to adopt so that people can get a better, even better idea of what they're going to be like in your home
02:01rather than just what you see at the shelter.
02:05I love that idea, by the way, too.
02:07I mean, think about you at work, and you're there day and night, night and day, day and night, night and day.
02:14You'd be at the door clawing to get out as well.
02:18Get me out of here.
02:19So, yes, Sunny, that's great advice.
02:21Hey, Seth, look at that tail.
02:23All right, give me something else.
02:25I would definitely make sure that the, you know, animals have been checked out by a vet.
02:32You want to know that they're, you know, I mean, of course, some things are going to be expected that are unseen.
02:38But you want to know that they are spayed, neutered, or have a plan to be, that they have their shots, you know.
02:47And if they aren't, the rescue or the shelter helps you through that process.
02:52You know, it shouldn't be anything that you have to be done on your own.
02:56There's so many programs out there now for low-cost spay and neuter and for even free spay and neutering,
03:05which we offer through our shelter.
03:06So if anybody's looking for that, you can reach out to us.
03:09And I would say the other thing, too, is, you know, kind of go back to giving them time to just, you know, they've been through a lot.
03:18Like I said, that other dog was with us for a year.
03:20Give them time to decompress, to, you know, learn the new environment, learn you, let you be the leader.
03:31You know, of course, we always recommend training is a great thing to do with your new pet.
03:36It's not only great for their manners, but it's a great bonding experience.
03:41So you want to bond with your animal.
03:44So, yeah.
03:45I love that.
03:46And there's three very simple things.
03:48These are just simple things to remember.
03:50Health, mental health for your dog, and, you know, definitely your relationship with your animal.
03:57Seth, by the way, is looking for a forever home for the new year, and he's a great guy.
04:02You can just see.
04:03He's got a real sweet, easy demeanor, nice wagging tail, and just is like, I just love me, love me.
04:10Sunny, you always give us great tips.
04:11Thank you very much.
04:12Happy 2025, everyone.
04:14And don't forget to opt to adopt.
04:16Super important.
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