Nicole Resecker loves animals, and her fiance Chris Davis supports her cause.

That is why Davis and Resecker volunteer to find homes for dogs and cats in the Fort Gibson Animal Shelter.

The couple approached animal control officer Jim Whitehead and offered to bathe animals, take photos, post fliers, and host adopt-a-thons to find homes for the lost pets.

“I don’t think dogs should have an expiration date,” Resecker said. “There’s just no reason to put them down.”

Whitehead not only does animal control, but also water meter-reading and volunteer firefighting, so he has little time to spend finding homes.

“These animals can’t help themselves,” Davis said. “I know Jim has his hands full too.”

The shelter’s policy is to give pet owners one week to claim their pets, then Whitehead gives the animals another two weeks to be adopted. Then he has no choice but to allow them to be euthanized.

“The shelter can only hold 20 animals,” Whitehead said. “It’s just part of the job.”

Resecker and Davis want to avoid any animals being put down, so they brought several to the parking lot at Keith’s True-Value Hardware Oct. 3 and found homes for five dogs that day.

Adoption fees are $20 for any animal, but new owners must get their rabies vaccinations within 10 days, Whitehead said.

“I’m also recommending that they go ahead and get parvo and worming at the same time, but it’s not mandatory,” Whitehead said. “Rabies is a must.”

At their first adopt-a-thon, Jeff Cherry approached the young volunteers and gave them a check for $60 to put towards any needs for the dogs or shelter.

Resecker and Davis already put it towards three adoption fees, helping three dogs find new owners.

“We want to say thank you to him,” Resecker said.