Whether you enjoy walking your dog along the Quad or playing with your cat, students who have the time to devote to loving an animal should be aware of the pet adoption opportunities around Tuscaloosa.

In 2010, the Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter took in more than 8,000 pets that people brought to the shelter, as well as some that were picked up from around the area, said Linda Workman, assistant director of the TMAS.

“With those pets coming in, we host different events and ways for the animals to get adopted,” she said. “During the holidays we had an adopt-a-thon, and we will have something for Valentine’s Day really soon.”

When Tuscaloosa’s Animal Control picks up animals in the community, they house them at the animal shelter.

“In the animals we take in, a majority of them do get euthanized,” Workman said. “It is not an issue of space for the animals; it either is for illness or behavioral issues.”

She said the solution is to promote awareness about getting animals spayed or neutered to help fix the problem of there being too many animals.

According to the website of the Humane Society of the United States, shelters euthanize an estimated three to four million animals each year.

“Another thing that assists with more adoptions being made is word of mouth,” Workman said. “It really helps when a person is able to tell someone they got a good dog from us.”

There is an adoption application that grants the shelter the information necessary to ensure the pet will be in a good home, she added.

“If the student is renting we have to call the facility to make sure that it allows pets,” Workman said. “Also, if the student has roommates, all of them have to come in and agree that they are fine with the pet adoption.”

According to information listed on the shelter’s website, “there is a $50 adoption fee per animal, and the animal will be up-to-date on first shots, first worming, spay/neuter, rabies certificate, heartworm test and microchip (for dogs over 6 months).”

Students also volunteer at TMAS and make up a large part of those who come to volunteer as opposed to those who may come from the community, Workman said.

Another adoption opportunity is with T-Town PAWS, which only houses animals that are to be adopted, as opposed to the animal shelter that takes in animals from animal control.

Community Outreach Coordinator Kayla Anthony said they recently have had two students foster a dog until they can find it a home.

“The two students are fostering Denver, a male lab,” she said. “They have been fostering Denver since the end of November and say he is doing wonderful.”

She said he visited their facility a few days ago for heartworm medication and seemed to be a much happier dog.

Anthony said there are hopes of finding Denver a home at their adoption event Jan. 21.