The staff at the Martha’s Vineyard Animal Shelter hears many complaints from Islanders saying that we do not have many or, often, any dogs to adopt. Many owners are reluctant to cede their animals. They worry about the possibility of their pets suffering from separation anxiety and loneliness without a real home to live in. Lisa Hayes, the shelter manager, hears about these cases and tries to find alternative owners after meeting both the pet and the new potential adopter. It is also possible to come to the shelter where you can fill out a form requesting to be informed of any available animals of the certain sex and size you prefer.

Thanks go to Alex and Ani for the nice event they sponsored on Tuesday, complete with punch and nibbles. A percentage of the sales that evening will be donated to the animal shelter. Many of their baubles are sold on behalf of a specific charity.

Attendees at the Pink and Green dog parade last Saturday were met by the organizers, Trish Lyman and Suzanne Jakel, who bestowed ribbons on the canine participants and, better yet for the dogs, gave out beautifully wrapped biscuits. Those were donated by Lighthouse Properties and were, fittingly, shaped like a lighthouse. The animal shelter thanks all of them for their generosity and labor, and is also grateful to Mother Nature who provided a dry day despite the lowering skies in the morning. Many thanks as well to the shelter’s own Gordon Healy who sang for the crowd at the Seafood Shanty on Saturday night and raised a goodly amount for the shelter.

The orange kittens are entertaining the staff and those who come to visit them. Foxy, a 2-year-old Maine coon female, is becoming a little more sociable. You can have 10-year-old Cody, also a shy girl, for free if you are willing to give this cat a permanent roof over her head.

Meanwhile, the lobby at the shelter is filled with four cages for the adorable guinea pigs who need homes. We have the girls — Lucy and Ethel, Trixie and Alice — and then the boys Robert and mighty Ed — the sire of them all. They love to serenade us with happy squeaks. Guinea pigs are easily cared for and are cheerful companions. Come see them.

All’s quiet on the social front for the coming week. We always publish news of any event specific to the animal shelter.

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 The Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard; the mailing address is P.O. Box 1829, Edgartown, MA 02539.