By Kimberly Matas
ARIZONA DAILY STAR The Second Chance Prison Canine Program has three "paroled pets" for adoption. The nonprofit organization takes dogs from shelters and works with inmates at the Florence state prison to train the dogs for use as service animals for the disabled. Every dog is evaluated for temperament and receives basic obedience training, but not all are cut out to be service animals. Those who don't make it to graduation are placed in permanent adoptive homes as family pets. Second Chance has three dogs available for adoption: black Labrador mixes J.J. and Apollo, and mixed breed Chuey. The adoption fee is $125. For more information about the Second Chance program or to see photos of the dogs, go to www.secondchanceprison canine.org and click on "Paroled Pets" or call 742-0338. Holiday discounts on cat adoptions The Hermitage No-Kill Cat Shelter, 5278 E. 21st St., is celebrating its "Homes for the Holidays" campaign by offering discounts on adoption fees. Through the end of the month, adoption fees are $55 except for special-needs cats ($45). Fees cover blood tests, sterilization, a parasite check, vaccinations, two months of pet insurance and microchipping. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, though it will be closed Christmas and New Year's days. It shelters more than 450 cats and kittens. Go to www.hermitagecats.org or call 571-7839 for information. SUV big prize in raffle for spay, neuter group The nonprofit Spay and Neuter Solutions is selling raffle tickets for a chance to win an SUV and other prizes. 
Click here for details! The raffle, sponsored by Jim Click Automotive, has as a grand prize a 2005 Hyundai Tucson worth about $20,000. Other prizes are: University of Arizona season basketball tickets; four tickets to the 2005 Notre Dame versus University of Southern California game in South Bend, Ind., plus airfare and hotel accommodations; two tickets to the 2006 Fiesta Bowl; and a cruise for two to the Mexican Riviera. Tickets cost $25 each, and all proceeds go to Spay and Neuter Solutions, which funds sterilization surgeries for pets. The drawing will be April 7. Each ticket comes with $25 worth of coupons for Metro Restaurants. Go to www.spayandneutersolutions.org for more information, or call (520) 247-6469 for a ticket. Shelter needs donations to feed horses, dogs Castaway Treasures Animal Sanctuary is celebrating "Christmas for Furry Angels." The Northwest Side no-kill shelter rescues horses and dogs. For the holiday season, it is seeking donations to feed the animals, many of which have special needs and come from abusive or neglectful homes. Director Adrian Bruno said it costs about $8 a day to feed a horse, which may need medication and nutritional supplements, and about $5 a day to care for a dog. Donations can be sent to the shelter at 10905 W. Mars Road, Tucson, AZ 85743. Castaway Treasures adopts dogs and horses to qualified homes. Adoption fees vary. For more information about the shelter or adopting an animal, call 682-7630. Help pets find homes through sponsorships The Humane Society is seeking sponsors to pay a portion of the adoption fees for shelter animals seeking permanent homes. The goal of the "Home 4 the Holidays" campaign is to have different dogs and cats sponsored each day through Jan. 2. Sponsorships cost $75. Part of the fee will pay for the animal's care while staying at the shelter, and a portion will offset the cost of adoption. The adoption fee for sponsored animals is $50. Sponsorships can be paid for at the shelter or by mail: 3450 N. Kelvin Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85716. The shelter is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily for donations and adoptions, but it will be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Go to www.humane-so-arizona.org to pay online. For more information, call 327-6088. Contact reporter Kimberly Matas at 807-8431 or at kmatas@azstarnet.com. |