May 16, 2008

Pet Fair teaches proper care of animals and offers adoptions

They come from Fresno, Sacramento, nearby cities, and San Jose. They are rescuers, persons who love dogs, cats, rabbits and other animals. They take in abandoned, abused and feral animals into their homes, care for them, get medical treatments and try to find someone to adopt the pets. All are volunteers.

Persons who love dogs, cats, rabbits and other animals take them into their homes, care for them, get medical treatments and try to find someone to adopt the pets at the Pet Fair. Above: Visitors to the Pet Fair get tips on dog training from Max Hanavan of Kaizen Dog Training.

They came to the Pet Fair at Evergreen Community Center on Apr. 27 to educate visitors on the proper care of pets, talk about the problem of abandoned and feral animals and offer pets for adoption.

Kathleen Flynn started DARES, Inc. (Dedicated Animal Rights Educators) to help solve the problem of having to kill hundreds of thousands of animals each year. It’s estimated that more than 400,000 dogs and cats are killed at a cost of $250 million of taxpayer money.

Spaying and neutering and more adoptive homes would go a long way to save animals and money. Mandatory laws are in place in some areas of California, but not yet in San Jose or Santa Clara County.

Flynn is a strong advocate of animal rights and coordinates Pet Fairs annually in each of San Jose’s council districts. Vice mayor Dave Cortese hosted last Sunday’s fair. The Community Center rooms had cats and rabbits in one area and dogs in another section.

Dr. David Reed and his technicians set up in a room to offer low-cost vaccinations, micro chipping and nail clipping. Dr. Reed heads up the Bascom Animal Hospital and has been a long-time advocate of healthy pets. He participates in every Pet Fair in the community centers and pays for the liability insurance.

Max Hanavan of Kaizen Dog Training gave classes on proper ways to treat dogs. Hanavan stresses that there are no bad dogs (not even pit bulls), just bad owners.

Usually about two dozen animals are adopted at a typical Pet Fair.