(WLNS)– The BISSELL Pet Foundation is hosting a nationwide ‘Empty the Shelters’ event this weekend, by sponsoring reduced adoption fees across the country.
The promotion, which runs through Sunday, July 12, allows people to adopt a pet from one of the 160+ participating organizations. The cost of adopting a dog is $25 and a cat is $10. The foundation will sponsor the remainder of the adoption fee.
Several Mid-Michigan shelters participated in the event, including the Ingham County Animal Control and Shelter.
“I think people are still a little hesitant to come into the shelter but we had a nice good flow this weekend,” Lauren Yunker, Volunteer and Foster Coordinator for the shelter said.
Despite the pandemic, Yunker said staff has been impressed with adoption numbers. Typically the shelter sees between 15-30 adoptions for empty the shelter events, and as of Saturday afternoon, a total of 11 adoptions had taken place over the course of the weekend.
Things inside the shelter look a bit different now. Shielding glass separates staff and adopters and masks are worn by nearly everyone. The adoption event also saw some changes. The lobby allowed a maximum of 12 people, and the cat room only allowed 6 people at a time.
“We usually have people like attendants helping out so now they’re just making sure that people are staying a distance and not too many people in one room at a time. We’re bringing dogs up to people or having them meet out in the play yard instead of having everybody go back and look at the dogs themselves,” Yunker said.
For one week following this Empty the Shelters promotion, BPF will also cover the same cost for new foster families who decide to adopt their pets. More information can be found here.
