Salt Lake County pets of the week

This very pretty kitty is Sharap, a 6-year-old spayed female tortoiseshell cat. She's gentle and affectionate, and, sadly, she came to us as the result of a divorce. She's been waiting patiently to be adopted for almost two months. She's already declawed, and her adoption fee during June Adopt a Shelter Cat Month is only $20.

Guy is a big, beautiful, energetic black Labrador who is anxious to meet his new family. He's 3 years old, and he came to us with a friend, a yellow Lab named Maggie who is likely a purebred.Both are lovely labs, but their new owners should be prepared to dedicate some time to obedience training them, since their previous owner did not.

Guy and Maggie are friendly and fun, and they are clearly purebreds, like so many of the Labradors we receive at our shelter. Labs are known for being loving, loyal and patient dogs and are generally wonderful with children. Unfortunately, they are also the most popular breed of dog in Utah, so the 1,181 lost and abandoned Labs we received last year represented 21 percent of our total dog intake. Black, yellow and chocolate labs of all ages come to us daily, so please use your power as a consumer to save the life of a dog whose last owner didn't commit to his or her pet for its lifetime. Buying a Lab rather than adopting creates demand and encourages people to breed more of these incredible but extremely overpopulated dogs. Come see gorgeous Guy and sweet Sharap at Salt Lake County Animal Services, 511 W. 3900 South, or call 269-7499. And please view our pets online at www.slcoanimalservices.org.