Humane Educational Society adopts out pets at Hixson’s Post Office at the unveiling of the Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet stamp. Northgate Animal Hospital’s Dr. Jim Hammon Jr., works with Humane Educational Society’s community outreach manager Jeanine Cloud with Patriot and HES volunteers Susan Muncy with Maxine, Erin Kalbarczyk with Cassey and Maryann Davis with Razzle.
Photo by Katie WardHixson Postmaster Robert L. Dickerson is unveiling the new Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet stamps to provide needed supplies and support to area shelters.
“With the issuance of these stamps, the Postal Service is continuing its long, proud history of raising awareness of important social issues … one letter at a time,” said Dickerson at a stamp unveiling April 30 at the Hixson Post Office. “Our goal is to increase public awareness of the problem and to promote humane responsible pet care. Every year 6 to 8 million cats and dogs enter animal shelters and nearly half are euthanized.”
Dickerson said the solution is to adopt a shelter pet and ensure the pet is spayed or neutered.
“Every time a sheet of Adopt a Pet stamps are sold it will provide a meal for a pet in need,” said Tennessee District Postal Service retail specialist Robbie Powers. “It should end up being a million meals.”
According to Dickerson, the Hixson Post Office is donating pet food to local pet shelters and accepting community pet food donations.
The Humane Educational Society of Chattanooga, McKamey Animal Care Center in Hixson and Red Bank’s Pet Placement Center all adopted out pets at the unveiling of the stamp in Hixson.
“We give free exams to all pets that come from area shelters,” said Dr. Jim Hammon Jr., of Northgate Animal Hospital. “I have a 7-year-old border collie that I adopted from the Humane Educational Society.”
Humane Educational Society volunteer Susan Muncy said HES is working closely with Wally’s Friends of Red Bank to travel door-to-door in Hixson, St. Elmo and North Chattanooga to offer free spay and neuter services to qualifying residents, sponsored by PetSmart charities.
SUPPORT THE CAUSE• The Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet stamps were unveiled on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show.” To learn more, visit here.• To learn more about adopting pets locally, visit the Humane Educational Society of Chattanooga website; Pet Placement Center website, or the McKamey Animal Center website.
Pet Placement Center volunteer Linda Boyd said the center is offering half-price adoptions for $45 in May for adult cats and dogs.
McKamey Animal Center offers pet adoptions at PetSmart every Saturday on Highway 153.
“The animals featured on the Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet commemorative stamps are photographs of cats and dogs from a shelter in New Milford, Connecticut, taken by veteran stamp photographer Sally Andersen-Bruce,” said Dickerson.
Hixson Elementary School students in grades kindergarten through fourth are displaying their 73 drawings pertaining to adopting pets along the walls of Hixson’s Post Office. Staff of the Post Office plan to select one student’s drawing to win a $25 Petco gift card.