Adoption drive delivers 'fur-ever' love

If you're looking for a fur-ever kind of love, look no further than the upcoming Empty the Shelter event at the Better Together Animal Alliance.

The alliance, which has participated in many of the Bissell Pet Foundation's drives, said officials are excited to again participate in the program. The summer drive runs July 8-31.

"We’re waiving adoption fees for all adult pets in hopes that they can find homes sooner," Andrea Nagel, BTAA director of storytelling and partnerships, said. "We have some dogs that have been with us for quite some time. For example, Wally has been at BTAA for nearly a year."

Like Wally, Nagel and Bissell officials said there are thousands of highly adoptable pets waiting for a chance for a loving home at the same time as the shelters face an ongoing capacity crisis. 

To make adoption more affordable and raise awareness about the amazing pets found in shelters such as BTAA, the foundation is hosting its summer Empty the Shelter event.

"With pet lives on the line, your help to raising awareness about adoption is critical," Brittany Schlacter of Bissell Pet Foundation said. 

As part of the summer event, the foundation is prompting a national call for adoption by hosting the event from July 8-31. In the four states where the event is taking place, more than 390 organizations are taking part, Schlacter said.

The foundation's "Empty the Shelter" events have helped more than 253,000 pets find their new best friends as part of the largest funded adoption event in the country. An average of 1,225 pets are adopted each day of these quarterly national events, Schlacter said. 

As part of the adoption drives, Bissell Pet Foundation sponsors reduced adoption fees so shelters can charge $50 or less to give deserving pets loving homes.

"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," said Cathy Bissell, founder of Bissell Pet Foundation."

The event is a crucial opportunity for people to make a real difference in their community through adoption, Bissell said. 

"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.”

Since its founding in 2011, the foundation has helped more than 775,000 pets. The organization's flagship program, Empty the Shelters, has become the country's largest funded adoption initiative since its 2016 launch. Through the drives, the program has facilitated the adoption of more than 253,000 pets across the United States and Canada by offering reduced adoption fees, typically between $0 and $50.

For some, adoption isn't possible — and that's OK, BTAA and foundation officials said. There are plenty of other ways to help such as sharing posts of social media and letting friends and family who are looking for a new pet to consider adopting through the animal alliance. Other options include participation in BTAA's "Hounds on the Town" program, volunteering, and donating supplies as well as sponsoring a pet’s adoption fees or making a financial donation via BTAA's website.