Fee Free Adoptathon

[Catherine]

Purrs for making a right decision. Animal Foundation's shelter was full to capacity and they would be forced to euthanize animals if something did not happen to find homes. They did a Fee Free Black Friday blowout special on all the animals available for adoption.

It worked. More than 450 animals were adopted.

http://www.mynews3.com/mostpopular/story...jIRXA.cspx

These special adoption events seem to catch people's attention and bring them in to a shelter. Many times, people were planning to get a dog or cat and this is the final incentive to actually do it.

No shelter should euthanize animals without exploring other options first.

[Tobi]

What a very good idea.
The adoption fees are usually intended to help the shelter, and are added to the donations (upon which such places depend.) My local rescue shelter makes it clear that the fees are non-profit, and they are sorely needed.
But waiving the fees has been very successful here, as so many animals now have a hope of life.

And raising interest in the shelter is a good idea, as many people will take it to heart and maybe come back to give some small assistance.

I know that my local rescue welcomes any small thing that people are willing to give. Whether that is one old blanket or duvet.....or a pile of newspapers which would otherwise go to the recycling....or a few cans of pet food....etc. Even people without much money can help out.
Good publicity makes the shelters more visible, so people stop to think what they can do to help.

[Catherine]

It is better publicity to clear the shelter by a fee free adoption than by euthanasia. Shelters get over crowded. When people know that, they are willing to help.

I think a number of shelters have done things like this. We sometimes have special adopt an old pet months or adopt a black pet month.

They did a clever black pet campaign. They used slogans like black goes with everything and black is slimming. It was a funny campaign, but it got a lot of the black pets noticed and therefore adopted.

There have been some big multi shelter adoptathons and they have worked. The important thing is for animals to find forever homes. The money is important, but there are donors to help out with the costs.