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6A I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I dawsonnews.com
Wednesday, March 4,2020
Help homeless pets by becoming a foster parent
By Jessica Taylor
jtaylor@dawsonnews.com
If you’ve wanted to help
homeless animals experience a
loving home, now’s your
chance.
The Dawson County Humane
Society recently relaunched its
foster program with the hopes
that getting long time cats and
dogs out of the shelter environ
ment will help their chances of
finding their forever families.
“We’re excited, and we’re
excited for the animals to be
able to have the opportunity to
get out there,” said Shelter
Director Jason Hutcherson.
For many of the shelter’s
longtime residents, the foster
program opens an opportunity
for animals to experience a
home environment that gives
them a break from the harsh
realities of life in a shelter pin
while also allowing the staff to
learn new information about
their animals to find their ideal
homes.
“One of our biggest goals is
to hopefully try and find foster
homes for some of our long
timers,” Hutcherson said. “One,
it gets them out of the shelter
and two, it gives everybody a
chance to see how they’re
going to do in a home setting
because they may have been
here for a long time.”
Hutcherson said it’s a pretty
simple process to become a
foster.
“Come in and let’s talk about
what you’re looking to foster
then, sort of like an adoption,
you’ve got to make sure it’s
going to be a good fit,” he said.
Once you’re set to become a
foster, the shelter will conduct a
home inspection, a requirement
by the Georgia Department of
Agriculture, then you’re ready
to bring your foster animal
home.
As a foster, you would be
responsible for bringing foster
animals to at least three adop
tion events each month, with
adoptions being held every
weekend at multiple locations,
Photos by Jessica Taylor
Dawson County News
Above: Dawson County
Humane Society Shelter
Director Jason Hutcherson
petsWheezer, a retriever mix
who is waiting to be adopt
ed. Wheezer is one of the
dogs Hutcherson hopes will
benefit from the shelter's
new foster program.
Left: Hutcherson pets
Bianca, a pit bull mix who
has been at the shelter for
three years.
Hutcherson said.
At this time, Hutcherson said
the shelter is looking for all
types of foster families, from
single people with no pets to
families with children and other
animals in the house.
“Any foster is welcome, but
if we could definitely get some
of the ones without any pets
that would be amazing,”
Hutcherson said. “A lot of the
ones that have been here the
longest are the toughest ones to
place. They’re good with peo
ple but they don’t do dogs.
They don’t do cats. Some of
them don’t do small kids and
stuff so when we’re doing our
off site adoption events it’s
almost always at PetSmart or
Petco and everybody’s already
got a dog or two or three...
we’re trying to find that niche
of people, single people or cou
ples that don’t have other pets
would be ideal for some of
these guys.”
Fostering would help with
space issues at the shelter, too,
but Hutcherson said that is not
a main concern at this time.
“Right now our primary
(concern) is trying to learn
what we can about what we can
about the animals and trying to
focus on the long timers,”
Hutcherson said. “Once the
program gets rolling and we
have several fosters then we
could look at it as a space sav
ing type thing.”
“I’m hoping that it will dra
matically increase the likeli
hood of them finding their for
ever homes,” Hutcherson con
tinued. “If nothing else it gives
them an opportunity to experi
ence being in a home...more
hands on than we can give.”
For more information about
becoming a foster, call (706)
265-9160, visit www.dawson-
countyhumanesociety.org or
stop by the shelter at 633
Martin Road in Dawsonville.
First 2 cases of coronavirus confirmed in Georgia
'Our team has been working around the clockto prepare
for any scenario. Already, state health officials have
established contact with these individuals to gather more
information, monitor their condition and determine any
exposure. We remain in constant communication with our
partners at all levels of government, and we will continue
to update members of the public as information becomes
available.'
By Nate McCullough
DCN Regional Staff
The governor late Monday confirmed
the first two cases of coronavirus in
Georgia.
Gov. Brian Kemp said at a 10 p.m.
press conference March 2 that two mem
bers of the same household had been
diagnosed with the virus, which has been
spreading across the globe since first
breaking out in China in 2019.
Officials with the state Department of
Public Health said one person had trav
eled to Milan, Italy, where they believe
the person was infected, and then spread
the disease to another member of the
same Fulton County household after
returning home.
Both patients are under home quaran
tine, officials said, and in good condition
with mild symptoms.
The governor’s office said the
Department of Public Health is working
to identify anyone who may have been
exposed to the patients while they were
infectious. People who are identified as
having been exposed will be contacted
directly by a Department of Public
Health epidemiologist and monitored for
fever and respiratory symptoms, accord
ing to a press release from Kemp’s office.
The governor said that he’d spoken
with Vice President Mike Pence, who has
been tasked by the president with direct
ing the American response to the virus,
Brian Kemp
Governor
and that Pence emphasized that the virus
continues to present a “low-risk” so far.
“Our team has been working around
the clock to prepare for any scenario.
Already, state health officials have estab
lished contact with these individuals to
gather more information, monitor their
condition and determine any exposure,”
said Gov. Kemp. “We remain in constant
communication with our partners at all
levels of government, and we will contin
ue to update members of the public as
information becomes available.”
Meanwhile, China’s coronavirus casel
oad continued to wane Tuesday even as
the epidemic took a firmer hold beyond
Asia, with three countries now exceeding
1,000 cases and the U.S. reporting its
sixth death.
“We knew that Georgia would likely
have confirmed cases of COVID-19, and
we planned for it. The immediate risk of
COVID-19 to the general public, howev
er, remains low at this time,” said
Department of Public Health
Commissioner Dr. Kathleen E. Toomey.
“I cannot emphasize enough the need for
all Georgians to follow the simple pre
cautions that DPH always urges to pre
vent the spread of respiratory viruses.”
COVID-19 spreads through the air
when an infected person coughs or
sneezes. Symptoms appear within two to
14 days after exposure and include fever,
cough, runny nose, and difficulty breath
ing. Those considered at risk for con
tracting the virus are individuals who
have traveled to areas where there are
ongoing outbreaks of COVID-19 or indi
viduals in close contact with a person
infected with COVID-19.
China in January imposed a virtual
lockdown around Hubei’s capital,
Wuhan, where the illness was first detect
ed in December and which has been the
epicenter of the outbreak. Many coun
tries have canceled or curbed public
events and discouraged travel to virus
hotspots, but quarantines and similar
restrictions have been on smaller scales,
focused on those directly exposed.
The worst-hit places outside China
were South Korea, Iran and Italy. South
Korea on Tuesday reported 477 new
cases, bringing its totals to 4,812 with 28
deaths. Most are in the southeastern city
of Daegu and neighboring towns.
In Iran, a confidant of Iran’s supreme
leader died from the virus. The Islamic
Republic confirmed 1,501 cases and 66
deaths, but many believe the true number
is larger. Its reported caseload surged
more than 250% in just 24 hours.
Italy’s caseload rose to 2,036, includ
ing 52 deaths. Officials said it could take
up to two weeks before they know
whether measures including quarantining
11 towns in northern Italy are slowing
the spread of the virus.
The Associated Press contributed to this
report.
Jessica Taylor Dawson County News
If you've looked up lately while traveling down Hwy. 53, you might have
noticed that the city of Dawsonville water tower has received a slight make
over. According to Dawsonville Mayor Mike Eason, a large "Dawsonville"
sign was installed at the water tower in late February.The new sign is meant
to help remind people when they've entered the city, Eason said.
Visit our RESALE shop & boutique
Wed. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. | 54 S. Lumpkin Campground Rd.
All proceeds
benefits the
Humane Society
AM Collision
Bradley M. Maple
/j^xDawsonville
Specialists
CPA, PC
() Veterinary
706-216-0992
706-216-2362
Hospital
103 Industrial Park Road,
Dawsonville
2390 Thompson Road
Suite 100 Dawsonville
706-265-8381
Special:
Waived Adoption Fees
If you have any questions, please feel
freeto call our shelters.
706-265-9160
Are you looking for a new addition
to your family? Someone who will
love you for eternity? Boy, are you
in luck! We have plenty of sweet
babies to chose from. These kitties
are FIV+ and have been with us for
a while. They are very eager to find
their furever homes! These sweet
faces have some special needs, so
we have waived their adoption fees
in hopes we can find an amazing
family for them. We can’t wait for
you to come by and meet them.
Form z^tthe ation Dawson County Humane Society
706-265-9160 | 633 Martin Road, Dawsonville
adjacent to the Rock Creek Sports Complex
