Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/longest-ever-empty-the-shelters-event/
Many animal rescues and shelters are operating in crisis mode due to an influx in animals. Dogs and cats continue to arrive daily, and shelters are struggling to feed and care for them all.
The best way to help is to adopt. Adopting saves two lives – the animal you adopt and the one you make space for in the shelter.
BISSELL Pet Foundation (BPF) is hoping to help thousands of pets find loving homes by offering their longest-ever Empty the Shelters Summer National event which will run from July 11-31.
275 animal shelters in 42 states are offering drastically reduced adoption fees as many are at or over capacity.
In the nation’s largest funded adoption event, adopters pay $50 or less to adopt a pet. Since the event began in 2016 over 96,000 pets have found forever homes.
BISSELL calls the “lifesaving reduced-fee adoption event” a win-win-win:
“Adopters win because BPF pays the adoption fees allowing them to take home a fully vaccinated, microchipped and spayed or neutered pet who is ready to be loved for $50 or less (much more affordable than purchasing a pet!)
“Shelters win because the pets they care about get a second chance when adoption fees are covered by BISSELL Pet Foundation.
“And, most importantly, every pet wins by finding a loving home!”
An interactive map is provided on their website so potential adopters can find a local participating shelter. All adopters are screened and must fill out adoption forms prior to adopting.
The goal is to find a loving home for every single shelter pet.
Cincinnati Animal CARE (CAC) is currently caring for over 500 pets and hopes to encourage people to adopt by reducing the adoption fee to $10 for all cats over 6 months old and all dogs over 6 months and over 25 pounds. CAC wrote, “Shelters are filling up nationwide at an alarming rate and CAC is no exception. As your one and only county shelter, our capacity crisis can only be solved by people like you. It’s easy to see lost animals coming into the shelter and say ‘people are the worst,’ but people are the solution!”
Other shelters have completely waived adoption fees as they are at critical capacity and want to save as many lives as possible. Companion Animal Alliance of Baton Rouge posted, “Due to the national shelter crisis and lack of essential kennel space, CAA will be participating in another Empty the Shelters Event in partnership with the BISSELL Pet Foundation and Cathy Bissell. Starting July 11, we will be offering FREE adoptions on all ready-to-go animals, including animals in foster care.”
Animal shelters are also in desperate need of fosters, volunteers, and supplies. Contact your local shelter and see how you can help.
Follow BISSELL Pet Foundation on Facebook to witness some of the adoptions taking place.
Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog
