CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- When Barbara Neddo walked into the jam-packed room of the Roane County Animal Shelter to find 125 crying, caged cats, she knew what she had to do.
"When I walked into that room, I got a little emotional," said Neddo, owner of Valley Pets & Supplies in Teays Valley. "I made a decision right then and there."
Neddo decided to host an Adopt-A-Thon at her pet shop to help lessen the Roane shelter's burden and find the cats homes as soon as possible.
"The Roane County shelter is doing a fabulous job, but these cats need as much exposure as they can get," she said.
About 15 cats from the 125 given to the Roane shelter last week will be available for adoption at Valley Pets & Supplies Friday through Sunday.
All 125 cats belonged to one Roane County man and were given to the shelter last Tuesday.
While the cats should be easy to adopt because their previous owner took proper care of them, Neddo said she is going to do everything she can to make the adoption process easier.
Starter kits with food, litter and supplies will be given to those who adopt a cat this weekend, and the standard $50 adoption fee will be reduced to $30, thanks to donations from the Peyton law firm.
Adopters also will receive a certificate to spay and neuter their new cat for free.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- When Barbara Neddo walked into the jam-packed room of the Roane County Animal Shelter to find 125 crying, caged cats, she knew what she had to do.
"When I walked into that room, I got a little emotional," said Neddo, owner of Valley Pets & Supplies in Teays Valley. "I made a decision right then and there."
Neddo decided to host an Adopt-A-Thon at her pet shop to help lessen the Roane shelter's burden and find the cats homes as soon as possible.
"The Roane County shelter is doing a fabulous job, but these cats need as much exposure as they can get," she said.
About 15 cats from the 125 given to the Roane shelter last week will be available for adoption at Valley Pets & Supplies Friday through Sunday.
All 125 cats belonged to one Roane County man and were given to the shelter last Tuesday.
While the cats should be easy to adopt because their previous owner took proper care of them, Neddo said she is going to do everything she can to make the adoption process easier.
Starter kits with food, litter and supplies will be given to those who adopt a cat this weekend, and the standard $50 adoption fee will be reduced to $30, thanks to donations from the Peyton law firm.
Adopters also will receive a certificate to spay and neuter their new cat for free.
While most of her customers opt for dogs and puppies, Neddo said people who give cats a chance won't regret it.
"On a daily basis, I have families coming in looking for puppies far more than cats. They are a little bit harder to find homes for, but they're so much easier to care for," she said. "Once you have a cat love you, it makes all the difference in the world. People don't understand how wonderful ... a pet cat can be until they have one."
Valley Pets & Supplies will also be accepting donations for the Roane shelter, which is in need of cages, litter and cleaning supplies such as bleach and mops.
As of Thursday, the shelter was down to about 80 cats after the big influx last week, according to officials.
"This is just the tip of the iceberg because there are so many, but it's helping," Neddo said.
The Adopt-A-Thon will begin Friday at 3 p.m. On Saturday, the event will continue from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., which will include a cookout and giveaways. Adoptions will continue from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, call the Roane County Animal Shelter at 304-927-2555 or contact Valley Pets & Supplies at 304-757-7291.
Reach Mackenzie Mays at Mackenzie.m...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5100.
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