This article was featured in WYDaily on 1/6/22.

The homeless pets of The Heritage Humane Society are standing by to help people stick to the most popular New Year’s resolutions. With people’s resounding desire to once again commit to healthier living according to this recent 2023 resolutions survey by Statista, the shelter knows that adding a pet as a partner can make obtaining goals easier and more rewarding.

The following resolutions are matched with current homeless pets at The Heritage Humane Society who are hoping to join you in meeting your New Year’s resolutions.

Resolution: Be more active.

A walking or jogging buddy is built-in support for reaching fitness goals. The American Heart Association shares that dog owners are more likely to hit their fitness goals than those without pups. In fact, dog parents are 34% more likely to fit in 150 minutes of walking a week than non-dog owners.

Saluda. Full of enthusiasm, this four-year-old pup with beautiful cream-colored fur is eager to become a dedicated walking and/or running buddy.

Soul. Meet your new “Soul” mate, Soul! At less than a year old, Soul is full of silly puppy energy and would like a home where he can be active and play. He can double as both an exercise partner and snuggle buddy.

Resolution: Smile More.

Megawatt grins have science-backed benefits including stress relief, pain relief and strengthened relationships. The unconditional love brought about by a pet helps you tap into one of your most power tools – your smile – to improve health, bolster relationships and just feel better.

Niyah. Turn that frown upside down! Want a surefire way to put a smile on your face every day? Adopt Niyah. This fun-loving girl is guaranteed to bring a whole lot of happiness to her future family. One of our favorite things about Niyah is that she has a tendency to grunt and grumble like a warthog, which is why her nickname at the shelter is “Little Warthog.” She loves making friends with everyone she meets as long as they are willing to give her lots of love and attention. She is a stage 5 clinger and wants to be as close to you as physically possible, so make sure you have a spot on the couch for her.

Resolution: Spend more time with family

Moses. Currently the longest resident at The Heritage Humane Society, Moses has been at the shelter 235 days and hoping each day will be the one he finds his forever home. He’s a big boy with an even bigger heart. He is sweet and friendly and looking for an active family to become a part of. If you’ve got room in your heart and home for a guy like Moses, come meet him.

Resolution: Take time to relax.

After the hustle and bustle of the holidays, the long days of winter are an opportunity to learn how to relax. Studies show having a cat can help to lower stress, anxiety, and even depression. Spending time with these fuzzy stress relievers can cause your body to produce stress reducing hormones. When petting cats, your heart rate and blood pressure decrease and your anxiety levels normalize.

Even their purring power is healing. A cat purrs within a range of 20-140 Hz, which is known to be medically therapeutic for illnesses in humans.

The Heritage Humane Society currently has 38 adoptable cats.

Holly. Seven years young and very affectionate. She is a purr-fect mix of independence and affection. Curiosity lives in her big, round green eyes and she LOVES attention in the form of pets. Give her some head scratches and you’ll be her new bestie!

Patchy the Pirate and Jack Sparrow. What’s better than one cat with two eyes? Two cats that each only has one eye! Patchy the Pirate and Jack Sparrow are two brothers looking for a home together. You see, they have been through a lot together already and they are only six months old. Both were suffering from severe corneal disease when they arrived at The Heritage Humane Society. Ultimately, they both ended up needing their right eyes removed to be able to live pain-free. Patchy has very limited (if any) vision in his left eye, but he finds his way around just fine and his brother has of course been there along the way to help him. Whoever adopts these pirate brothers are going to get the world’s most resilient and loving cats!

Resolution: Eat healthy.

A cheering section can be just as effective even if it is tiny, as in the shelter’s small pets. This currently includes adoptable guinea pigs and rabbits.

Small pets yearn for a healthy diet of fresh veggies. Their daily diet is a built-in motivation to prepare your own healthy snacks and meals.

Jonathon and Danny. These two four-month-old guinea pigs are full of character. There inquisitive eyes, twitching noses, and curiosity are as alluring as they are soothing to watch.

Forrest and Marshmellow. Marshmellow is a dwarf rabbit. This white bunny is trimmed in chestnut, a fun reminder of a perfectly toasted marshmallow. Forrest is a buff and gray ball of huggable, fluff.

Resolution: Learn something new.

Broaden your skills and those of your dog this year with a new year of new tricks. The Heritage Humane Society offers many levels of dog training classes and workshops. Held right at the shelter, you and your New Year’s resolution buddy can learn, have fun, and bond.

The bottom line – having a pet can make us better humans. The Heritage Humane Society currently has close to 200 pets being cared for. Visiting and adopting hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.

To learn more, visit HeritageHumane.org, call 757-221-0150, or visit The Heritage Humane Society located at 430 Waller Mill Rd, Williamsburg, VA 23185.

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