By Conrad Dudderar
Senior Staff Writer
A $25 adoption special helped entice 43 new owners to take home some of Yukon’s best animals.
Pets and People Humane Society partnered with City of Yukon Animal Control to find loving homes for homeless pets during Bissell Pet Foundation’s national “Empty the Shelters” promotion May 9-17 in Yukon.
“The event was so successful,” Pets and People executive director Amy Young said. “We adopted a total of 43 animals – 38 dogs and five cats – all through our ‘curbside’ adoption process.
“In a typical week, we adopt 10 to 15 pets and our goal for this event was to adopt 20. Because of this promotion and offering $25 adoptions, we more than doubled that goal.”
Pets and People was the only Oklahoma rescue organization that participated in the event this month.
Prospective new owners visited the Yukon Animal Control Facility and Pets and People, 701 Inla, to adopt a dog or cat for $25 each. Bissell Pet Foundation sponsored the remainder of the adoption fee.
Seven dogs that were adopted had been transferred from City of Yukon Animal Control for the Empty the Shelters special.
“We wanted to help the City of Yukon with their very adoptable dogs,” Young said. “We would like to partner with Yukon Animal Control on future adoption events.”
All potential adopters were prescreened to ensure they would be a good fit for all City of Yukon and Pets and People animals.
Yukon’s humane society took care of the adoption process, making sure all animals were spayed/neutered, microchipped, vaccinated, and heartworm tested.
“We know that these pets went to the very best homes,” Young said. “That’s the best part.”
On some days during Empty the Shelters, adoptions were scheduled every hour the shelter was open.
Ensuring a potential adopter and an animal will make a good pair takes time but is well worth it, Young noted.
“Our staff and volunteers really stepped up,” she said. “We are committed to finding the ‘best fit’ because if it’s not a good fit, the animal often will be returned to us.”
‘LONG-TERM’ ANIMALS PLACED
About one-fourth of the dogs adopted during the adoption special were “long-term” animals who had been at the shelter more than six months.
One pooch, a female named Marley, had been with Pets and People as its “office dog” for nearly five years.
A Border Collie mix, Marley is a great dog but she’s older and has anxiety issues – so it took a while to find her new forever home.
Several large-breed dogs, who also are harder to adopt, found new owners during Empty the Shelters.
Bissell’s adoption special came at a time when animal shelters and rescue organizations across the country struggle with decreased foot traffic and fewer available staff and volunteers to care for their animals.
And as vulnerable populations become ill, pets inevitably will be surrendered by owners who cannot take care of them.
The combined impact is devastating for those trying to keep pets alive.
Yukon animal adopters were well pleased with the reduced $25 adoption fee during this limited-time special offer. Pets and People’s normal adoption fees are $135 for dogs and $85 for cats.
Many adopters used the money they saved to buy items their new pets really needed – like bowls, carriers and leashes.
Pets & People has adopted out about 400 animals since Jan. 1.
While 43 pets found new homes during the Empty the Shelters promotion, there are still other great animals available.
View pets for adoption at http://www.petsandpeople.com or Pets and People’s Facebook page.
