GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Humane Society of West Michigan held a puppy party Friday, hoping to find homes for 11 puppies that are currently up for adoption.
This was the first event the organization was able to host in a long time due to the pandemic and having to slow down transfers of animals.
“We host these whenever we have a large amount of puppies transferred into our care, because we want to make it easy for anybody to be able to get a new puppy into their family,” said Marketing and Communications Coordinator Brianna Shahly. “So we make a big event. It's really fun.”
The Humane Society says the large influx of puppies is caused by overcrowded shelters in other parts of the country. Shahly says that while spaying and neutering is common in the northern U.S., shelters in the south can become overwhelmed with puppies.
“We take transfers of both adults and puppies into our care, and then find them a loving home. So sometimes we get a lot more puppies and adults, and sometimes vice versa,” Shahly said. “So it just depends on what animals need our help the most. And then when we do get a lot of puppies in, we get really excited, and of course, host events just like these to help them find homes.”
Shahly says the puppies often find forever homes within a few hours of the start of the events, and interested people line up outside before the society opens.
Shahly says it's difficult to predict when the puppy parties will be held, so anyone interested in participating should keep an eye out on the society's Facebook page. While events can be announced a week in advance, sometimes only two days' notice is given.
Find the Humane Society of West Michigan's Facebook page here.
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