New shelter to rescue, adopt and pamper pooches in Casper – Oil City News
CASPER, Wyo. — Lindsey Royce handled a lot of critters big and small while working as an animal control officer in the bustling Denver suburb of Broomfield, Colorado.
“Bears, occasionally, ” she said. “Everything, really. ”
Rescuing dogs has always given her the most joy. There was also another aspect of the job there that intrigued her.
“They did a lot of public relations and education work, which really sparked my interest and made me want to focus on that, ” she said.
Lindsey, her husband Jessey, and their three kids relocated to Casper a few years ago. After that, she started thinking of ways to help homeless dogs find new owners.
“I thought I could do a whole [rescue concept] where my goal is to center everything around education, ” she said. “So the rescue dogs I take in, anyone who wants to adopt them will get a lot of education on how to appropriately greet dogs and touch them, things like that will, to help make it more of a forever home for them with better odds. ”
After a former veterinarian’s office near the fairgrounds had become available, Fur Pets Sake Pet Center started to take shape. With some cosmetic and additional work, the building will soon house a dog rescue and offer grooming and boarding services. The operation is a nonprofit, with adoption and other fees going back into the operation budget. Donations for supplies and food are welcome, she said.
Lindsey said observing the canines and asking about a family’s lifestyle helps in proper pet matchmaking. “Sometimes people think they want a Husky because they look so cute, but they want to cuddle and watch movies all day, ” she said, “and that’s probably not the best lifestyle for this kind of dog. ”
Another focus is to help ease strain on Casper’s main animal shelters, the Humane Society and Metro. Like the Humane Society, Fur Animals Sake will be a no-kill shelter.
“The Humane Society is always full, Metro is always full, so I saw the need to have animals come here and have the safe space and to educate people, train the dogs, and just have a good, positive place for that. ”
Even before officially opening, a group of dogs Lindsey describes as “highly adoptable” that were rescued from an abusive home arrived at the center.
“She reached out to me and asked if I’d be interested in taking any of these dogs, ” she said. What started out as a few dogs became 11. “She brought them all here in a horse trailer and I just took them all in and hit the ground running. ”
“Our goal is to open everything in phases, ” the girl said. Happy Paws Grooming will move from its old location in Mills into the new center. Eventually, the particular roughly 6, 000 square feet of space will be compartmentalized with various boarding, rescue, education and grooming activities. Bays will also be available for pet owners to wash their own canines. “A lot of times they’ll call their groomers plus they’re booked, and so if they’ve gone camping and their dog’s a mess, they can come here and clean them up. ”
Lindsey plans on using social media to help find dogs new homes by posting photos with personality bios and using her connection with other rescues in Wyoming and Co to find more adoption opportunities.
Mainly, she wants people to feel comfortable walking in to the center.
“I believe other [rescue] places are harder to access, like you can only come here during these hours and you can’t come hang out, ” she said. “I want this place to be fun, and to make it positive and bright. ”
Fur Pets Sake Pet Center is located at 2060 Fairgrounds Road. It can be reached at 307-277-3292 and at its Facebook page .