As the cold days are getting colder, the Fulton County Animal Adoption & Education Center, 1540 Wentzel Dr, Rochester, is now providing fully sponsored adoption fees to those looking for a new dog to help warm their hearts and home. October is 'Adopt a Shelter Dog Month,' there's never been a better time to welcome a new addition to the family from FCAC.
As only open admission animal shelter in Fulton County, the shelter and learning center is a non-profit organization that welcomes and cares for all strays, owner surrenders, and animal control confiscates until the pets are either reunited with their owners or new homes are found.
FCAC Director Jaci McCallen said requirements for adoption vary depending on the needs of each individual animal. The shelter requires an approved adoption application they keep on file. Requirments include checking for landlord approval for those who rent, making sure other animals in the home are being seen regularly by a veterinarian and other needs that depend the animals temperament and needs. McCallen said on average the shelter takes anywhere from 1000-1200 animals annually.
Each winter as the shelters fill up adopting out is heartwarming to see, but much too often pets are returned, breaking the hearts of the animals and staff at the shelter. Requirements ensure when they adopt out, the animals are finding their forever homes.
McCallen said the shelter advocates for compassionate and humane treatment of animals through direct care, education, and community outreach. FCAC adheres to the highest ethical standards and is dedicated to creating a community environment that eliminates the euthanasia of healthy and adoptable animals.
"I have been with the shelter since 2016, so to be able to hit this milestone, and maintain it over the last decade has been the greatest honor! No-kill means saving every animal that can be saved. While some animals are not able to be saved due to quality of life, injuries, illness, behavior, aggression, or some other public safety risks, those animals are usually less than 10% of what is taken in. Therefore, no-kill status is defined as being able to save more than 90% of all of the animals that come through our doors, as the reality is that not every single one is saveable," McCallen said.
Since 2016, their save rate for cats has remained at 93% or higher, with years at over 95%. Their save rate for dogs has also stayed steadily at over 97% for the last decade.
FCAC currently has 12 dogs up for adoption, with most of their adoption fees being fully sponsored, meaning they are FREE for an APPROVED applicant! They also have roughly 25 cats available for adoption with varying adoption fees depending on age and sponsorships! Animals at the shelter can be viewed at www.fultoncoanimalcenter.org/
McCallen also highlighted the ever-growing cat overpopulation across the nation that is caused by neglectful pet owners.
"Humans domesticated cats, and then failed to be responsible for the survival of so many of their offspring. A female cat can get pregnant as young as 5 months old, and can go on to have up to three litters a year. By providing food, shelter, and resources for their survival, but failing to spay/neuter these kitties, leads to a higher survival rate overall and an increase in population. At the rate cats can reproduce, their numbers multiply very quickly. The only humane solution to the cat overpopulation issue is spaying and neutering," McCallen said.
While many think bringing outside cats to the shelter is for the cat's benefit, McCallen said that is not always the case. The shelter highly recommends T-N-R, also know as trap, neuter, return, for large groups or colonies of outdoor/feral cats. When funding is available, FCAC does have a TNR program for Fulton County Residents, as well.
Seeing the undeniable need for low cost spay and neuter options in the community, FCAC offers spay and neuter resources for cats to Fulton County residents through their low cost vaccine clinic. Thanks to funding provided by the Bissell Pet Foundation's Fix the Future Program, the shelter is able to offer the procedure for $25. In doing so, FCAC has an average of 90 cat spay/neuters a month. Due to the high demand, they are currently only able to provide this service to Fulton County residents, but even with that, McCallen says they are still seeking such a huge need for the service they are often booking months out. She says they hope to be able to expand this service to surrounding communities in the future.
"For one, shelters just cannot keep up with the population. Feral/outdoor cats often shut down in shelters. They cannot go into indoor homes, so there are not many options for them. Many shelters lack humane, nonlethal policies and programs. However, as part of our no-kill mission, here at FCAC we started a barn cat program to find a live outcome option for these kitties! Our barn cats are spayed/neutered, vaccinated, flea/tick treated, and dewormed. We do have a barn cat application requiring
While there is no charge or adoption fee for barn cats, they do ask for monetary donation to help FCAC continue the program.
FCAC takes in on average about 700 cats per year, 665 in 2024, and carries roughly 95% save rate for them. The shelter houses around 60-100 cats at any given time and adopts out roughly 60-80 a month during their busier months. In 2024, FCAC had 525 cat adoptions.
Adoption fees are $40 for senior cats, $50 for adult cats over 6 months of age, and $80 for kittens. Each cat is spayed or neutered, fully vaccinated, and flea/tick treated, many are even also microchipped.
McCallen asks those interested in adopting to first go to their website and put in an application to get things started at www.fultoncoanimalcenter.org/
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