Pets find homes at adoption event

By Diana Cox

Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008 | midnight

Manny Gomez and Peggy Soder added a new member to their family Oct. 4. The couple fell in love with a beautiful 3-year-old girl and decided to take her home.

The fluffy, white American Eskimo mix found a home at The District's Mutts on Main Street pet adoption.

"She is really looking for someone to love her," said Gomez, who had a 15-year-old Samoyed who died three years ago. He and Soder decided to go to the pet adoption event to try to fill the void Gomez's pet left.

The American Eskimo, who didn't yet have a name, was one of 10 brought from Lied Animal Shelter for the first of a new monthly adoption event hosted at The District.

"There is such a tremendous need to find loving, forever homes for the homeless pets in our community," District spokesman Rob Benson said in a statement.

Within the first hour, seven of the 10 dogs from Lied had been adopted.

Greyhound Pets of America's Southern Nevada chapter was there with two greyhounds — Freeze and Captain Sparrow — who needed homes. The organization finds homes for retired racers and dogs that were bred to race but were not fast enough.

Gail Margulies, director of Lucky Glider Rescue and Sanctuary, was looking for homes for 50 sugar gliders. The marsupials, which are smaller than a hamster, are cute but can be difficult to take care of, Margulies said.

Many of the sugar gliders at her sanctuary were surrendered because the owners purchased them without knowing what the care would entail. Since 2007, the rescue has adopted out 12 sugar gliders.

Gomez said he thought it was important to adopt a new pet from a shelter rather than a breeder.

"Dogs that are in shelters really need homes," he said. "This is their last chance."

Diana Cox can be reached at 990-8183 or [email protected].