It's still raining cats and dogs

COEUR d'ALENE - Seventy-three down, 60 to go.

In the past five weeks, the Kootenai Humane Society has found homes for more than half of the 133 cats on a waiting list to get into the shelter.

"That's extremely good," said Rondie Renaldo, KHS executive director.

Unfortunately, there are also still about 120 felines waiting to be adopted at the shelter on the end of Ramsey Road.

So, let's make a deal.

Until Sunday, cats, normally $85, are 60 percent off, which comes out to $34.

Renaldo has high hopes people will claim some cats. A recent special on dogs, $20.11 in honor of 2011, resulted in 12 being adopted on one weekend.

"We were very thrilled," she said.

KHS continues to work on a helping the area's homeless pet population.

It is preparing for a promotional day in March to encourage more people to have microchips attached to their pets.

Microchips allow animal control officers to use a microchip reader and immediately learn the owner's name and address of a wandering pet, so they can return it. Without a microchip, the dog ends up in the shelter, and the owner ends up with a $75 fine from animal control, a $30 impound fee and $20 a day fee as long as the animal is there.

"There are tons of animals that need to be microchipped," Renaldo said.

Microchips are about the size of a grain of rice, she said, and KHS will be offering them for about $10.

"It gets them home safe," Renaldo said.

The shelter has about 75 dogs, which come from animal control in Coeur d'Alene, Rathdrum and surrendered dogs.

She said the shelter does receive some "really, really good" dogs and cats that are given up, often due to financial reasons.

And some abused ones as well.

One abandoned cat had an ulcer so large, Renaldo thought someone had shot it. A dog that was picked up had mange so bad it lost all its hair.

"Somebody just left it out," she said.

The dog, a German shepherd, lab mix, needed medication and could now use a home.

"It's kind of an ugly looking dog, but the sweetest thing in the world," Renaldo said, laughing. "He's about 80 pounds and wants to crawl up in your lap."