MICHIGAN, USA — More than 390 shelters across the country will be participating in the Bissell Pet Foundation's Summer National Empty the Shelters event. About 40 of those shelters are in the State of Michigan.
"It's needed now more than ever," said Brittany Schlacter with the Bissell Pet Foundation. "Our nation's shelters are crowded and in crisis."
To help with that crisis, the Empty The Shelters event will run from July 8 through July 31. The Bissell Pet Foundation will be sponsoring adoption fees for participating shelters so they can reduce adoption fees to $50 or less. Schlacter said some shelters are even waiving fees completely. So potential pet-parents would just have to go through the adoption process to bring home a spayed or neutered, microchipped and vaccinated pet.
"There are so many healthy, adoptable pets waiting to find loving homes," said Schlacter. "And there's no better time to bring them home, especially after one of the busiest times of year for shelters."
Schlacter explained that the Fourth of July holiday will typically cause pets anxiety, possibly leading them to get loose and run away. This leaves the shelters very crowded in July.
Even outside of the typical increase that shelters expect during the summer months, Schlacter said that in recent years the amount of animals in shelters has been increasing between rescues and owner surrenders.
"You know, many, many wonderful families are being faced with housing challenges," she said. "Whether it's losing out on a great opportunity to live someplace and only being able to find a place that maybe will only allow them to have one pet or a smaller pet. Maybe that large dog in their family is having to be given up because they have to choose having a place to live."
To learn more or find a participating shelter near you, you can visit bissellpetfoundation.org.
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