78 Animals Adopted During 'Empty the Shelter' Event
People began lining up hours before the Pasco County Animal Shelter opened at noon Saturday for its free adoption event.
The holidays went to the dogs—and the cats— this year. Pasco County Animal Services hosted its first-ever Empty the Shelter event on Dec. 22, and the response from the community was overwhelming.
"You won't believe it! We had 78 adoptions," animal services education coordinator Judy Gregory said.
The shelter opened at noon for the event, and there were lines already wrapped around the adoption center, Gregory said. People began lining up at 9:30 a.m. for their free pets.
Since taking her position in July, Gregory said the most animals adopted out on a "good Saturday" was 12.
During the Empty the Shelter event, which was designed to support the shelter's plan to save 90 percent of the animals that come under its care, the parking lots overflowed with people hoping to bring home a new family member.
"The staff worked so hard, the citizens were happy and excited and our volunteers did a wonderful job," Gregory said.
The event included a visit from Santa and an elf who took photos, she said.
"Christmas came early to PCAS."
For more information on adopting an animal, visit animal services online.
Let Patch save you time. Get local stories like this delivered right to your inbox or smartphone every day with our free newsletter. Simple, fast sign-up here.
Danielle
10:58 am on Friday, December 28, 2012
I hate to be the grinch, but I hope they did background references. I hope these people didn't adopt the animals to sell them, fight them or rescue them just to return them in a week... I hope all these animals really got a full time loving home! Animals are a lot of work and are expensive, so I hope the new owners did their research first.
Carin Bicker
7:20 pm on Friday, December 28, 2012
I totally agree. As a therapist who partners with a therapy poodle, recused when he was 2, he is now blind and has a heart condition. i is a life commitment and if people don't understand that responsibility animals lose their forever homes. Hopefully the screening was appropriately done not to just place animals in a hurry and have them abandoned again. I also have two adopted children and i know the huge ramifications of failed placements.