What child doesn’t want their own bunny or guinea pig? If you have a child or children that are begging for a pet, a good starting place is a bunny or piggy and we have both here at the shelter. The bunny, Pickle, is a lionhead rabbit. He’s brown with black guard hairs and a black face. He has lopped ears and a big mane, hence his name. Pickle is a lovely rabbit who enjoys attention and likes to snuggle. Our guinea pigs are Lucky and Maple. These boys are hand-raised and very sweet. Guinea pigs are wonderful pets for children and they adore attention. They’ll even sing to you when they’re happy. Make a child happy with one or two of these wonderful pets.

Another stray kitten has joined us and momma, Kathy, has taken her in. She’s a pretty white kitten with calico markings who just purrs and purrs. Kathy is a young bobtail tabby that is very friendly and also a purrer. She arrived with her four bobtail kittens, two tabbies, a black and a gray, all boys. If interested in a kitten, please call to have your name added to our growing kitten list. Kathy will be available for adoption once her kittens are weaned and she has been spayed.

The cat rooms host a number of animals wishing someone would fall in love with them and give them a nice home. The males include eight-year-old Mr. Kitty, who is black and white, very playful and quite affectionate. Our other male is a big, shy, orange-and-white boy named Simba. He’s very sweet, only five, and is an indoor cat. He does have that wonderful orange male personality. Could either of these fellows be the one for you?

Our female felines include Misty, a young tabby with lots of energy and a great personality. She’s really playful. Lucy is a shy five-year-old long-hair calico with a cute white blaze and an orange puff at the end of her tail. She’s quite beautiful and is very affectionate with those she takes to. Could that be you? Cheshire is a doll of a tuxedo with markings that make her seem as if she’s smiling. She’s young, very friendly and adores attention. Her kittens have just left and she will be available too once she’s been spayed. And Holly is still in the condo waiting for that special person or persons that understand her quirks and falls in love with her.

Come join us on September 28 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the PA Club when the shelter will be hosting the Celebration of 1,000 Loves, Lives and Tails. This is a free event to celebrate the fact that over 1,000 animals have been adopted through this shelter! The bluegrass band, Maggie’s Kitchen, will provide the music and there will be hot dogs and hamburgers as well. We hope you can join us!

A reminder that the next nail clinic will be held on September 8 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. The suggested donation is $15. And we are taking jewelry donations throughout the year for our Summer Garden Party.

Now that summer is here the shelter would like to remind all pet owners how quickly temperatures rise in a closed vehicle. Please do not leave your pets in what can rapidly become a deadly situation. Additionally, please be mindful of how hot the asphalt and pavement can be on delicate paws in the summer heat. Dogs should be not walked on hot pavement between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

We still need adult volunteers to answer the phone and meet and greet people on Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoons. Can you help? If interested give us a call or stop by for more information. And if anyone needs any crates or dog food, please stop in to pick some up. We have an abundance of both and are happy to share.

Shelter hours are Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The shelter is closed Sunday and Monday. The telephone number is 508-627-8662.

Contributions are always gratefully accepted; the shelter is funded solely by donations. Please make checks out to Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard; the mailing address is P.O. Box 1829, Edgartown, MA 02539 or visit animalshelterofmv.org.