Fifteen years ago Dr. Stephen Berghash and his wife, Chris, found a litter of kittens on the front steps of his veterinary practice, Scottsville Veterinary Hospital. He took care of these kittens and found them homes. But he knew he needed to change the way abandoned animals were treated. In 1992, Dr. Berghash founded Scottsville Veterinary Adoptions (SVA). "We would go to the Central Pound in the city (of Rochester) and pay full price for abandoned animals. We cared for these animals, and nursed them back to health. Word of mouth spread the news of our facility and we grew into a humane organization," Dr. Berghash said. How the adoption process works Located in Scottsville and Spencerport, SVA is a non-profit, non-euthanasia facility. Each year, SVA places more than 700 animals into area homes. Animals that come into the shelter undergo a thorough checkup and receive complete medical care including any necessary vaccinations, tests and medicine. All kittens are spayed or neutered. "Our goal is to provide healthy pets for people to adopt," said Karen Comstock, director of Scottsville Veterinary Adoptions. As part of the animal intake process, a profile of each abandoned animal is created. Information about the pet including likes, dislikes, medical history and personality traits are put into this profile in order to find the best match for the pet and prospective owner. "Matching a pet with the lifestyle of the new owner is important. We want everyone to be happy," veterinary assistant Robert Graney said. SVA's motto - dedicated to matching homeless pets with caring people - comes true in every adoption. The adoption process at SVA begins when a potential owner completes an application. Once the application is complete, staff members interview the potential owner to find out about their lifestyle, if they own any other animals and what type of pet they wish to adopt. "We take every care to ensure that pets are matched with the right owner," said Dr. Berghash. Also during this orientation meeting, would-be owners are educated on how to take care of their new pet. "We are trying to make the public aware of the need for good homes for pets. We educate people on what it takes to own a pet," said Comstock. While it is SVA's goal for every adoption to be successful, sometimes adoptions just don't work. "We are honest. We explain about the pet's behavior and the care it requires. We don't want to give a pet to a throw-away home," says Sheila Berghash, office manager for SVA and Scottsville Veterinary Hospital. Each adoption has a two week grace period. If the pet owner or the pet is not happy within this two week time frame, the pet may be returned to SVA. The staff of SVA is proud of its successful adoption record but all are in agreement that more pets need to be adopted. "We have a tremendous need to get adult cats and dogs in caring, loving homes. We would love for these animals to be in homes before Thanksgiving. We've had kittens come into the shelter and now they are almost full grown," said Comstock. Almost 70 animals live at the Scottsville location. "We are cutting the adoption fees in hopes of encouraging people to adopt. We are willing to take a financial loss so our animals can go to good homes," said Dr. Berghash. A few happy tail tales Frank Sacino adopted two pets three years ago from SVA. "My wife and I walked in and saw how happy the animals were and how all the animals were so well taken care of . We knew we had to adopt our two dogs," Sacino said. In another adoption example, Tangle, a mix breed dog, was available for adoption through Scottsville Veterinary Adoptions. He was adopted four times to four different families and returned each time because each adoption did not work out. He was finally adopted and has now been in a home for four years. "We could see he was a good dog but he just needed some training. We changed his name to Cody. At first he was afraid to get attached to us. It took four or five months before he felt secure and at home with us. Now he is an important part of our family," said Ranie Bojko, Cody's owner. Spencerport resident Elizabeth Caton visited the Spencerport Veterinary Clinic every day for three months to play with her two favorite cats, Chip and Dale. She wanted to adopt the cats but needed to persuade her parents to do so. Her mom and dad, Bonnie and Scott Caton, surprised 12-year-old Elizabeth and adopted Chip and Dale. "Having Chip and Dale around makes me happy. I love to cuddle with them. It's a dream come true that I own Chip and Dale. They are the best!" said Elizabeth. The staff also has many happy adoption stories to share and agree a favorite adoption story is about Oso, an Australian Shepard mix breed dog. "He was a handful," said Comstock. Oso had been in four different homes. "He is special to us because he lived at the shelter for so long. The home he has now is wonderful," said Dr. Berghash. "When he comes to see Dr. Berghash for care, you can see a 'smile' on Oso's face," said Comstock. Community involvement SVA offers outreach programs at the PetSmart pet store on Jefferson Road in Henrietta on Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m. and the Jewish Home in Brighton. "The high customer flow at PetSmart gives us exposure to many new potential customers," said Comstock. Nine cats from SVA live at PetSmart and are awaiting adoption. Two SVA pets, one cat and one dog, live at the Jewish Home in Brighton and provide companionship to the residents. "The pets bring a feeling of contentment to the residents. You can see it in their eyes," said Comstock. Volunteers are welcome at both the Spencerport and Scottsville locations and can help in many different ways such as bathing pets, walking dogs, cleaning cages and runs, feeding, watering, playing and socializing with pets. Volunteers are also needed to place phone calls for adoption call-backs and for showing pets for adoption. Interested in adopting a pet? Scottsville Veterinary Adoptions and Scottsville Veterinary Hospital is located at 3750 Scottsville Road in Scottsville. Spencerport Veterinary Clinic is located at 194 South Union Street, in the village of Spencerport. Animals are available for adoption at both locations. Anyone interested in adopting a pet or volunteering can contact Karen Comstock at 889-8340 or 352-7970. Material needs In order to reduce the costs of sheltering abandoned cats and dogs and providing for their veterinary needs, both locations listed above accept cash donations as well as the following items: towels (bath and hand size), feeding bowls, cages/crates, laundry and dish soap, meat varieties of baby food, dry and canned pet food, litter pans. All donations are tax deductible. Robert Graney said scout and other groups often collect cans and bottles, redeem them and donate the money to the shelters as an outreach effort. Getting ready to adopt a pet? Doing your homework helps Adopting a pet can be a fulfilling experience. But knowing what type of pet and when to adopt this pet takes time and patience. And, doing your homework helps. Dr. Stephen Berghash, executive director and founder of Scottsville Veterinary Adoptions, suggests that people take the time to learn about the type of pet they are interested in adopting. He also recommends that people spend time with the animal before adopting. "At each of our locations we provide a space for people to interact and play with our animals," said Dr. Berghash. Karen Comstock, director of Scottsville Veterinary Adoptions, advises that people think about their living environment when adopting a pet. "If you live in an apartment, you should not adopt a large pet. Most dogs, except the smaller breeds, need room to run. Different needs for different breeds," Comstock said. Senior citizens can reap the joys of pet ownership. Pets can bring a sense of companionship and joy to anyone regardless of age. Darlene Fimano, veterinary assistant at Spencerport Veterinary Clinic, recommends that senior citizens think about adopting an older pet. "An older pet is a good option for a senior citizen because it is more mature and settled," she said. Parents of small children may find that adopting a pet teaches life lessons. "Teaching a child to help take care of a pet teaches a child respect and compassion for animals," said Fimano. Giving pets to children as holiday gifts is not a good idea unless it is a planned decision. "Pets are cute in the beginning, like a new toy, but pets are a lifetime commitment and responsibility," Comstock said. Comstock advised parents, not children, take responsibility for the pet, with the aspects of care taught and shared. "Pet ownership can be a learning experience for the whole family. But it needs to be a shared responsibility," she said. "Children get bored after the newness of owning the pet wears off," she explained. "Adopting a pet is like adopting a baby. Like a baby, a pet cannot tell what it needs and has needs just like a baby. Pets are individuals just like people," said Comstock. Comstock encourages families, singles and seniors to adopt a pet. "Pet ownership can be a rewarding experience filled with love, contentment and companionship." November 13, 2005 |
