Falling Water students donate supplies to McKamey Animal Care and Adoption Center

Falling Water Elementary School is helping McKamey Animal Care and Adoption Center with summer supplies by donating four boxes of items from the shelter’s wish list.

“Falling Water students collected peanut butter, towels, Q-tips, grocery bags, wax paper and baby socks to use to make toys for McKamey’s pets,” said Tricia Sebes, McKamey volunteer and rescue coordinator. “It keeps the pets’ minds active and enriches them in the shelter to play with the toys.”

Sebes said McKamey houses 300 pets ready to be adopted, evenly divided between cats and dogs.

“Trixie, a black Labrador retriever, came to us as a stray,” said Sebes. “We adopted her out two years ago, but the owners returned her because they moved. We see a lot of owner surrenders in this economy.”

McKamey volunteer Jim Watson, of Middle Valley, said teaches students how to communicate with their pets, how to take care of pets and that spaying and neutering a pet will help it with proper socialization skills. Watson said he tells students that pets make good companions, while some pets such as seizure dogs, guard dogs and drug dogs have special skills to provide safety for their owners.

“People should adopt a mutt instead of a pure-breed pet,” said Watson. “Mutts live longer and are healthier with less genetic problems.”

Aside from donating materials for pet toys, McKamey also accepts ink cartridges and cell phones to recycle and raise money for pets.

“Feeding, vaccinating and spaying and neutering is expensive,” said Sebes. “We don’t make a profit on adoptions, so every little bit helps. In 2009, we took in 5,500 animals. We are a low-kill shelter that kills only pets with illnesses, bad injuries or pets that bite.”

Sebes said McKamey partners with PetSmart Charities Rescue Wagon sending 20 pets monthly to sister shelters in Wisconsin and Michigan to be adopted out.