By Conrad Dudderar
Staff Writer
An eastern Canadian County animal welfare group celebrated the official “grand opening” of its new venue with another successful adoption drive.
Pets & People Humane Society recently adopted 26 animals – 20 dogs and six cats – over five days as part of a record-breaking nationwide “Empty the Shelters” event at its newly opened adoption center near N.W. 4th and Morgan Road.
“The numbers nationwide were just amazing,” said Pets & People executive director Amy Young. “We are super-excited all these wonderful animals have found great ‘forever’ homes.”
Among the adoptions were a three-legged dog and a “benchwarmer” who had been in Pets & People’s care for a long while.
Young offered special thanks to Pets & People’s adoption staff for their tireless efforts during Empty the Shelters.
Pets & People was among 180 participants in this summer’s $25 adoption special, supported by Bissell Pet Foundation. A record 5,833 adoptions were reported in 40 states across the country during the quarterly event.
This brings the total number of pets adopted through Empty the Shelters to 11,000 in 2021 and almost 60,000 since the program’s inception in 2016.
Pets & People has now participated in six quarterly Empty the Shelters’ adoption specials sponsored by Bissell Pet Foundation.
This was the second event at the organization’s new adoption center, 9733 N.W. 4th.
Pets & People on July 23 hosted a Yukon Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting ceremony for its new site. Attendees toured the renovated 7,782 square foot facility. (Read more in an upcoming edition of The Yukon Progress)
The local humane society’s rescue center has space for 30 dogs and 30 cats. The building features a 6,100 square foot warehouse and 1,682 square foot office area.
Pets & People moved in early April after about 25 years inside the old City of Yukon animal shelter. The organization still owns a three-acre dog park directly west of the city’s animal control facility at 701 Inla.
FINDING HOMES, RELIEVING SHELTERS
Empty the Shelters continues to grow each year, finding homes for pets and relieving overcrowded shelters.
“It’s a wonderful feeling to know that 5,833 pets found their forever home through our recent Empty the Shelters event,” said Cathy Bissell, founder of Bissell Pet Foundation.
“We thank the shelters for the incredible job they did in helping these pets find families, and of course a heartfelt thank-you to all of the people who chose adoption and gave these pets a second chance at life.”
Pets & People’s regular adoption fees are $135 for dogs and $85 for cats.
Bissell Pet Foundation’s sponsorship makes the $25 rate possible.
“We encourage the adopters to use the money they save on the adoption fees to buy items their new pets really need – like bowls, carriers and leashes,” Young said.
All Pets & People animals are microchipped and spayed/neutered to prevent further pet homelessness. The dogs and cats are heartworm tested and vaccinated before being adopted.
All adoptions are completed through a curbside adoption process and each applicant is pre-screened to ensure they will be a “good fit” for the animal.
The next major event for Pets & People will be the 11th Annual Pawsitively Pampered Dog Wash from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 12 outside YNB Parkway, 1550 Garth Brooks Blvd. This fund-raiser will feature dog washing and grooming, craft vendor booths, and food trucks in the parking lot.
A no-kill humane society and animal rescue, Pets & People has saved some 58,000 dogs and cats since the early 1990s.
Learn more by calling (405) 367-7156 or visiting http://www.petsandpeople.com
