Staff reports
Bissell Pet Foundation, a national animal welfare organization dedicated to ending pet homelessness, is prompting a national call for adoption once again this summer with its Empty the Shelters reduced-fee adoption event through July 31.
Beaufort County Animal Services (BCAS) is participating, along with more than 390 shelters in 44 states. To help deserving shelter pets find loving homes, Bissell Pet Foundation sponsors reduced adoption fees of $50 or less per cat or dog during each nationwide event.
- BCAS will participate through July 31 at 10 Pritcher Point Road in Okatie, offering waived adoption fees for dogs six months and older.
- Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
- All interested adopters can find more details online at www.pitstopdogs.com
“Shelters are struggling with a variety of challenges right now — some are evacuating pets because of wildfires, tornadoes, or even loss of air conditioning in extreme heat, and others are overcrowded and having to euthanize highly adoptable pets to make space, a tragic situation,” BISSELL Pet Foundation founder Cathy Bissell said in a news release.
“Bissell Pet Foundation’s upcoming Summer National Empty the Shelters event is a crucial opportunity for people to make a real difference in their community through adoption. Every single adoption saves a life and creates space to save another. Please adopt and give a pet a chance it might otherwise not have. If you can’t adopt, fostering saves lives when shelters are full. Deserving pets across the country are counting on all of us.”
This is the first time BCAS is participating in the Empty the Shelters event. BCAS’ stated goal is to find every dog currently at the shelter a new fur-ever home.
“The shelter is pittie-full and we are hopeful and excited to get these dogs off of pit-row and into great homes,” emphasized BCAS Dispatcher Christi Owens.
This event began in 2016 with a goal of encouraging more families to choose adoption. More than 253,000 pets have found loving homes since its inception. Empty the Shelters is Bissell Pet Foundation’s largest program, partnering with 742 animal welfare organizations in 49 states and Canada to reduce adoption fees.
Bissell Pet Foundation and Beaufort County Animal Services urge families to research the pet they are interested in adopting, as well as adoption requirements. For more information on adopting or donating to Empty the Shelters, visit www.bissellpetfoundation.org/empty-the-shelters and www.pitstopdogs.com.
