A major renovation at the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast is reshaping how the shelter houses and matches animals with new families, according to Sarah Fisher, the organization's spokesperson.
The project, known as Project Pawsible, is underway at the shelter's Stuart facility and is designed to expand living space for animals and modernize the shelter overall.
"It's going to increase the living spaces of our animals and make everything bigger and better," Fisher said. "It's going to be basically a state-of-the-art facility once it's complete."
Because the front adoption areas are currently under construction, all adoptions have temporarily moved to the back of the shelter, and animals are living in temporary spaces during the renovation.
Despite the construction, the adoption process remains active — and fast. Fisher said prospective adopters can browse available pets on the shelter's website, then visit in person for a tour of adoptable animals.
"We can give them a little tour of all the adoptable animals, and we'll do an interview, look at their ID, have them fill out some paperwork," Fisher said. "They can adopt an animal the same day if they'd like."
Adoption traffic tends to ebb and flow with the seasons, Fisher said, with kitten season driving a summer uptick in cat adoptions.
"During summer, we are seeing a lot of the kitten adoptions since it's kitten season," she said. "But it's been pretty steady. It's been pretty good."
When families come in looking to adopt, staff focus on finding the right fit rather than just placing an animal quickly, Fisher said.
"The most important thing when someone's coming in to adopt is that we help them match the right animal with the person or the family," she said.
For example, she said, an elderly adopter living in a quiet home might not be paired with "a brand new, spunky, crazy puppy," while an active family might be a better match for a higher-energy animal.
Among the animals waiting for a permanent home is Maverick, a small bully-breed mix currently living with a foster family through HSTC's Promoter Pet Program.
"He's in a foster home, and the reason why he was in our promoter pet program is because he was really stressed out at the shelter," Fisher said.
The program places animals who struggle with the noise and activity of shelter life into quieter foster homes while they wait to be adopted.
"He's been here for quite a while. He's been waiting for a home," Fisher said.
Fisher said Maverick's exact breed mix is uncertain but described him as a small, short-statured bully breed. He remains available for adoption.