Adopting from the Nancy J Brua Animal Care Center

ADOPT. DON’T SHOP.

I’ve always wanted to go to the Nancy J Brua Animal Care Center to adopt a pet. In fact, I have a reserved segment on Val in the Morning where I interview Arleen or Tammy from the center every Thursday morning around 8am. Arleen even dubbed our segment Pawsday. So, you’d think adopting a dog or cat from the shelter would be my priority.

WHY THIS IS SUCH A DEAL?

I’m the first person to encourage you to visit the shelter. When you get there, look around. Chat with the friendly staff. And while you're there, I secretly (well, adamantly is more like it) hope you’ll lock eyes with your fur-covered-soul-mate and get adopted by one of the dog or cat residents of the shelter.

When you calculate the cost of an initial vet appointment for shots, a spay or neuter, the basic health check and a chip, you’re looking at $300 to $500. At least! So, the adoption fee of $50 for a cat or $75 for a dog is a screaming deal. Or, a barking deal, if I’m being honest. The shelter ensures that every pet adopted has had the basic vet visit and spay or neuter by the time they go to their forever home. When the shelter is near or at capacity, the adoption fees often drop to encourage fur-ever homes.

A LITTLE HISTORY OF THE SHELTER

I’ve always wondered about the name of the shelter. According to the shelter’s website, the Nancy J Brua Animal Care Center, “…was made possible, in part, with a $1 million bequest from the estate of Nancy J. Brua, a former Army nurse who was stationed at Fort Huachuca early in her career—a career that included 13 months as a front-line surgical nurse in Vietnam.”

The shelter is a 12,500 square-foot, climate-controlled facility with 55 dog kennels and 32 cat kennels.

FINDING THE PERFECT GOOD BOY OR GIRL FOR YOUR COUCH

If you’re looking for the perfect furry family member, the staff at the shelter will do everything they can to help with pet adoption.

First, bring along your family members. All of them. If you’re looking for a dog who will get along with your toddler, bring her. If you’re treasured 7-year-old terrier is a bit choosy about who he’ll share a couch with, grab a leash and bring him along.

And your spouse. Maybe bring him along, too. If you can't agree on a pet, you may just have to adopt two beautiful souls.

SO WHY HAVE *YOU* NEVER ADOPTED FROM THE SHELTER, VAL?

I have had many beautiful pets in my life and loved each one with my whole heart. You may be asking, why haven't YOU ever adopted from the Nancy J Brua Animal Care Center, Val, since you think we should?

Simple: I get adopted by dogs and cats – not the other way round.

It’s weird to say, but when our hearts are ready, the perfect dog or cat always appears in our life. We decided maybe we wanted a cat. Then my sister rescued a litter of kittens - so we took two.

After we lost our Golden Retriever, our hearts healed enough to realize we might like a new dog. Cue two scraggly labs found running through the monsoon mud. My daughter sheltered them “temporarily” while we tried to locate the owners. And you guessed it. We have them, now too. And one of the dogs came preloaded with puppies…but that’s a whole chapter.

Tell me your story. Have you ever adopted from the Nancy J Brua Animal Care Center?