Animal shelter still full despite successful adoption event
Joyce Lobeck photo
Best buds Pierre and Jacky Boy are happily in their forever home together with their new owner, Steve Mitchell.
Joyce Lobeck photo
Mission Valley Animal Shelter is the only brick and mortar animal shelter providing services to Lake County.
Joyce Lobeck photo
Shelter manager Raeva Corkill cuddles Graynger, a kitten that recently came into the Mission Valley Animal Shelter.
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Jacky Boy and Pierre are two happy dogs. These two best buds get to start their new adventure together side by side in a loving home.
They were the first of 14 animals adopted last week during a special adoption event at Mission Valley Animal Shelter funded in part by a $1,000 Kia Pet Adoption Grant from the PetFinder Foundation. The grant allowed the shelter to charge a reduced adoption fee of $25 per animal throughout the week.
“Double the love, double the fun - Jacky Boy and Pierre were adopted together today,” shelter staff wrote on the Facebook page announcing the adoption of the inseparable duo. “We’re so excited for them and their new family - there’s nothing better than seeing a perfect match times two!”
The two dogs had bonded and were inconsolable when separated, making finding their forever home more challenging. Therefore, said shelter manager Raeva Corkill, she is especially excited to have the two adopted together.
New pet owner Steve Mitchell reports the two are “doing great.”
Of the 14 animals adopted, half were dogs and half were cats. Like Kye, a beautiful black and white cat who had his own happy ending – or rather new beginning - in his forever home. And Panza and Pio, two cats who went home together with their new family.
“We had a lot of interest, a lot of movement,” Corkill said of the week. “There were a wide range of adoptions, some people coming from as far as four or five hours away to meet animals. That’s awesome.”
Even with the successful adoption event, the shelter is full, Corkill said. “It was strange the way it worked out. We had as many dogs come in as were adopted so we still have no open kennels. As fast as we send one animal out, another shows up at the door. Definitely, we still have a full building.”
She hopes to have at least one more special adoption event this year in an ongoing effort to find homes for the animals that come through the doors. The shelter takes in 250 to 300 animals a year and has 40 to 50 animals in the building at any given time. There are also currently 30 to 60 animals on a waiting list by owners needing to relinquish their pets while strays are a constant challenge, Corkill said.
“It’s a constant battle how many animals we can help at a time,” she said. However, she noted, the shelter does have a no-kill status because it has a “live outcome” rate of more than 90 percent.
Mission Valley Animal Shelter was established in 1989 and since 1994 has been located at 36251 N. Reservoir Road just south of Polson, the only brick and mortar animal shelter between Missoula and Kalispell. It serves an area spanned by Lake County and the Flathead Indian Reservation, where no animal control services exist. MVAS is regularly challenged by the number of animals in need.
In addition to caring for the unwanted animals and trying to find homes for them, Mission Valley Animal Shelter offers various services to pet owners:
Free vaccine clinics
Spay and neuter certificates for low-income families
Microchipping of pets, a valuable tool to help reunite lost pets with owners. Cost is $35.
Community food program for anyone who needs supplements to feed their pets.
Postings to help return lost pets to their owners.
The shelter operates on a shoestring budget - $518,000 in 2024 – with a small staff through the support of the community and the assistance of its volunteers.
Financial support is solely through client fees, private donations, fundraising efforts, grants, investment returns and proceeds of the shelter’s thrift store, Seconds 2 Go Thrifts and Gifts, located at 51110 Highway 93 in Polson.
Volunteers walk dogs, socialize kittens, groom animals, clean kennels, do mountains of laundry and help in other ways at the shelter and the thrift store. Volunteers of all ages are welcome. Those under 16 must be with a parent and volunteers need to be at least 18 years old to walk dogs.
In addition to monetary donations and volunteering, people can help the shelter in these ways:
Donate pet food and litter.
The shelter can always use old bedding, sheets and towels.
Donate gently used items to the thrift store.
The shelter also relies on foster homes. “Definitely, we always need more fosters,” Corkill said. “Especially to provide bottle feedings. We get a call once a week for animals needing bottle care.”
“And if anyone knows someone who is looking for a pet …,” Corkill said, emphasizing the need for people to adopt animals.
She concluded: Working for an animal shelter “is one of those jobs that is extremely rewarding and extremely emotional at the same time. The animals always need more time and attention. And we always need more homes than we can find.”
The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. To volunteer, make a donation or for more information, visit the shelter, go online to missionvalleyanimalshelter.org., or call the shelter at 406-883-5312 or the thrift store at 406-406-883-8127.
