The Bissell Pet Foundation is sounding the alarm for rescue animals. They've launched an emergency Clear the Shelters event to make it easier for you to find your forever pet.
There are nearly 200 pets at the Humane Society of West Michigan, and the emergency event was called to help find them homes.
"So shelters all around the nation are overwhelmed with pets in the summertime, it's really common for us to just get flooded," said Brianna Shahly with the Humane Society of West Michigan. "And shelters everywhere are overburdened so Bissell was like, 'We see the need, we want to help our shelters,' and so they started this."
Shahly says this particular Empty the Shelters event is working to highlight animals that often get overlooked during adoption events. Because of this, dogs over 40 pounds, senior pets and adult cats have a reduced adoption fee of $25. Small animals are just $5 to adopt, and senior pets are always fee-waived.
Shahly says returned animals are down 51% compared to 2019, and that the increase in shelter animals is a yearly occurrence.
"Kitten season is a big influx of animals into our care, lots of cats that are found outside that need loving homes," said Shahly. "For the most part, it really is stray animals and newborns."
The Empty the Shelters event runs from Aug. 16-22. The following shelters across Michigan are participating:
- Kent County Animal Shelter
- Humane Society of West Michigan
- Harbor Humane Society
- Heaven Can Wait Animal Haven
- Humane Society & Animal Rescue of Muskegon County
- Al-Van Humane Society
- AuCaDo Rescue Mid-Michigan
- Van Buren County Animal Control
- Humane Animal Treatment Society
- Humane Society of Midland County
- Livingston County Animal Control and Shelter
For more information on the event, click here.
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