LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – For some animals arriving at Haven Animal Care Shelter, the first step isn’t always adoption — it’s recovery.
“We make sure they are okay, if they need to go to a vet right away we take them,” Brenda Wilbanks, founder of the shelter, said.
Wilbanks said animals come in with different stories. Some face physical injuries and others carry emotional trauma.
“Socialize them, and that can be sitting with them and not getting too close, or it could be petting them, letting them sit in your lap, whatever they want to do,” Wilbanks said.
Healing takes time
Wilbanks said every animal heals at their own pace, and learning to feel safe again doesn’t happen overnight.
“Sometimes it takes days and weeks for them to adjust and I think that’s the hardest part of this, because it’s hard to explain to people that it takes a while,” Wilbanks said. “They don’t know where they are and some of them never had a home, some of have been on the street and never had a home and don’t know what to do.”
Wilbanks said adopting a formerly abused or neglected animal doesn’t always come with an instant connection, but with patience, it can lead to finding a new pet.
“We have had people who would come and get a traumatized dog and they would just stay with it for weeks, months and finally that dog would adjust to the home and they would say it’s the best dog they have ever had,” she said.
Process of finding new homes
To set owners and the animals up for success, the shelter holds a two-week foster period and conducts interviews before finalizing an adoption.
At Haven Animal Care Shelter, the mission is making sure every animal gets a second chance at finding a home.
“None of this is their fault, I mean the ones who come here, even if they were a behavior problem, they did not do anything to be in a situation like out on a street or something so, definitely they deserve a second chance, and a third if they need it,” Wilbanks said.
From the shelter to your home, she says your new best friend is an adoption away.
“They just love you no matter what, most of the dogs, they love you, they don’t care if you have had a bad day, in fact they really want to help then,” Wilbanks said.
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