Through the Humane Society of Ventura County’s efforts, more animals found their way into loving homes in 2008 than during the previous year.

In all, the private non-profit Ojai animal shelter reported overseeing 699 pet adoptions last year, up from 591 adoptions in 2007. While the bulk of the pet adoptions were for dogs and cats, the Humane Society also finds homes for other animals, including pigs, rabbits, ducks, horses, birds, turtles and guinea pigs.

Cyndy Treutelaar, president of Humane Society of Ventura County’s Board of Directors, attributes the increase in adoptions to the organization’s community outreach services.

“We’re out in the schools, our volunteers are manning booths, the Ventura County Star runs our ‘Pet of the Week,’ we’re advertising more,” Treutelaar said. “It’s a lot of things.”

The shelter also reported a significant increase in the number of pets spayed or neutered in 2008 – 1,944 pets – up from 1,862 pets in 2007. Again, Treutelaar credits the Humane Society of Ventura County’s public awareness campaign, but she also points to grant money that the non-profit has secured that allows it to offer periodic free spay and neutering services.

On another positive note, the Humane Society returned 129 lost pets to their homes in 2008. The year before, 157 lost pets were reunited with their families. Treutelaar sees the significant decrease in the number of lost pets as a sign that people are becoming more responsible with their animals and having them collared, tagged and micro-chipped.
“We’ve made a big effort to get the word out, and it’s reaching people,” Treutelaar said.

The Humane Society of Ventura County, located at 402 Bryant St. in Ojai, is open for adoptions Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Adoption cost for dogs and cats is $120. To see animals currently available for adoption, visit www.humanesocietyvc.org.

For more information about the shelter and the many services available, including its spay and neuter clinic and twice-monthly shot and microchip clinic, call 656-5031.