On Monday, Friends of the Animals (FOTA) opened its Adoption House at 8476 Highland Road—across from Sammy’s Grill). The first of its kind in Baton Rouge, the House offers a showplace for 40 rescued dogs and puppies to meet the public each day.
These dogs have either been surrendered, or are in danger of being surrendered by their owners, to East Baton Rouge Parish Animal Control. To be eligible for the Adoption House, puppies and dogs must first be selected for Companion Animal Alliance’s or FOTA’s foster programs.
All of the adoptable dogs at the Adoption House are living with families rather than being kenneled. That means the fosters can provide potential adopters with insight into the dog from diet and activity level to behaviors, housebreaking status and even favorite toys.
“It’s a place away from the shelter that’s a home-like environment where dogs can relax and adopters can see their personality,” Schoen says.
Besides providing opportunities for foster dogs to meet adopters, the FOTA Adoption House allows the dogs to have some socialization, playtime and exercise. No animals remain on the premise overnight. So, each evening, these dog-tired dogs leave the upscale foster doggy daycare return to their caregivers. That means different dogs will be featured in the home every day.
“We’re removing obstacles to pet adoption by making the dogs accessible to adopters,” Schoen says. “And, we’re making it easier to foster animals by providing exposure and enrichment for the dogs during the day. We hope to increase adoptions and add to our corps of foster caregivers, so we can move more dogs out of the shelter.”
FOTA’s Adoption House is open from 1 to 6 p.m. daily. The non-profit will continue to host weekly adoptions at Orvis on Saturdays and Sundays from noon until 3 p.m. and at the downtown Arts Market the first Saturday of the month from 8 until noon.
These are among the lucky dogs that adopters might encounter at FOTA’s Adoption House.
Farley is an Australian shepherd mix. Housebroken, leash- and obedience-trained, this beautiful boy loves people of all ages and loves to give hugs and kisses. He also gets along with other dogs. True to his high-energy breed, Farley needs a home with fenced in back yard to run and play.
Spice is a lab/malmute/sharpei mix. At about 10 weeks old, this sweet little girl loves everyone—kids, cats and dogs—and has already learned a few basic obedience commands. She’s still working on becoming housebroken, so she’ll require a home with some patience. Hudson is a four-year-old Yorkie/schnauzer mix. Hudson enjoys cuddling, going for walks or just relaxing and chomping on a good bone. He is super in the car and almost completely kennel trained. In addition, this great guy loves every person and animal he meets. Beau is a five-year-old French bulldog. A very calm and sweet boy, Beau loves affection and attention and is perfectly happy just hanging out. This 28-pound guy knows basic obedience commands, is crate trained and housebroken. However, he needs a little work on walking on a leash. Beau is best suited to a calm quiet home without children. He currently lives with female dogs and cats and gets along fine with both.Maggie is a three-year-old lab mix with long, luxurious coat. Raised as an inside dog, Maggie is housebroken, obedience trained and dog friendly. She is tentative around new people and wants to sniff before deciding to befriend. Even though she weighs 80 pounds, this black beauty is well socialized around people and loves everyone, including babies. She’s a very friendly girl who also loves to play. Tennis balls and rope tugs are her favorite. Maggie also loves her walks, so an active family with a fenced yard would be great.Sally is a terrier mix and a total sweetheart. She came into the shelter with her sister. They grew up relying heavily on each other. Her sister was adopted, leaving her alone and unsure. At three years old, she still has a ways to go training-wise, but Sally is surprisingly responsive to praise. She’s still gaining confidence, but once she warms up, she is a fun hound to have around. She is best suited for a quiet household with gentle children who will help her trust again.
All these pets have been spayed/neutered, vaccinated, heartworm tested and microchipped. Many other adoptable dogs are available through Friends of the Animals.
