Pet-a-Puppy day sets tails wagging

Pet-a-Puppy Day was the brightest spot on a cloudy Thursday for students who pet, cuddled and cooed over wobbly puppies and fuzzy kitties brought to the UMC’s fountain by the Humane Society of Boulder Valley.

This was the second year BuffSecret.com hosted the event, which met with such success it may become an annual event, said site co-founder and CU graduate Zach Cohn.

Students were able to place holds on puppies or kittens they want to adopt, but actual adoption won’t happen until they meet with an adoption liaison at the Humane Society.

A black-and-white pointer mix puppy melted the heart of freshman open-option major Lauren Hamilton, who placed a hold on him and has already renamed him Sam.

“I think it is a genius idea putting puppies out where there’s a bunch of teenage girls because they’re for sure going to get adopted—case in point right here,” Hamilton said, cuddling Sam.

Adoption Liaison Jill Nieglos said, “We want the students to come down to the shelter where you can talk to somebody like me [to determine] what age group would be better for you and what kind of breed would be better for you,  so that students find a pet that fits with their lifestyle.”

While puppies are adorable, adopting one is a serious decision. Small dogs can live to be 17 years old while larger dogs live 12 to 13 years, Nieglos said.

“A CU student will have this dog after they have two or three kids,” Nieglos said.

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Hamilton also commented the commitment a pet requires.

“Most people just like puppies, but it’s going to get bigger eventually and you’re going to be stuck with it for a good chunk of your life.” Hamilton said.

Even though students must consider how bringing home a puppy would affect school and work, Nieglos said she believes students do often give them great homes.

“We find that CU students actually make very, very good doggy guardians. They usually have lots of other kids in the house, therefore the dogs have a lot of folks to hang out with,” Nieglos said.

If a dog or a cat doesn’t quite fit the bill, the Humane Society often has other small mammals, such as bunnies or hamsters, up for adoption as well according to their Web site, which provides updated information on what critters are available.

But the best way to tell if an animal is a good fit is to go meet it in person. Visit the Human Society at 2323 55th Street in Boulder from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Contact CU Independent photographer Lauren Walter at Lauren.e.walter@colorado.edu .