There is something about pets that makes most humans feel comforted. Animals offer unconditional love. Dogs, and sometimes cats, allow the human heart to be filled in ways that can’t be filled by other companionship. Many pet owners would probably agree. Because of this unique bond between humans and their pets, the Souris Valley Animal Shelter seeks to be a helping hand in assisting animals who may need a little extra boost or help in finding their forever homes.
The newly built facility, located at 1935 20th Ave SE, houses anywhere from 5-10 cats and 10-20 dogs at any one time. These animals come from all over town and from various situations. Some are found around town and are in need of quick care. Some are released from their owners who cannot take care of them and some still are sadly obtained in devastating abuse situations. Whatever the case, it is the goal of the SVAS to care for and nurse the animals in their care the best they can. Their mission is, “ [to] create a better world for pets and people by advocating for animals and moving communities forward.”
The no-kill facility hosts events and fundraisers throughout the year to help raise money and donations for the animals in their care. At the up-coming event on Saturday, June 11, the SVAS is teaming up with Souris River Brewing, Up Your Ax, and Traveling Art Pub ND to bring downtown Minot the, “10th Anniversary Parking Lot Party”. The event will host many activities, but the SVAS will be bringing their dogs that are available for adoption between 3-7pm. Guests will be able to interact with the pets and apply for adoption. Additionally, Souris River Brewing will donate $1 for every beer sold that day to the Animal Shelter to benefit the animals. The event is family-friendly but it is geared towards adults.
The SVAS is always looking for volunteers and foster families and information can be found on their website: svaspets.com. SVAS Community Relations Coordinator, Siri Aponte said they often have a waitlist and pets in the most urgent need, get places at the shelter first. However, the more people who are available to foster, the more pets can be placed quicker and spend less time waiting for care. So she encourages those who may be interested to apply to foster pets if possible. Aponte also mentioned that with the warmer summer months coming up, it is important for pet owners to take special care of outside time and making sure pets have enough water. The SVAS offers an informative pet summer care guide which will be featured in the Northern Sentry’s Summer Guide coming out soon! Aponte also told the Northern Sentry that the SVAS will soon offer a spay/neuter veterinary clinic for the shelter’s dog and cats. This addition will bring in a full-time veterinarian, Dr. Logan Wood, to offer vet services exclusively for SVAS and make sure all the shelter’s pets are fixed before being adopted. As this vet clinic becomes a reality in July, the five-year goal, according to Aponte, is to evolve the clinic into a teaching vet facility where students can come from all over the state to learn about veterinary science. As the Souris Valley Animal Shelter continues to grow and offer more services, the more animals will be able to get care and bless more humans with their love.