Young-Williams Animal Center is one of 200 Animal Shelters Participating in the National Empty the Shelters adoption event May 5-9.

 

After successfully finding forever homes for 18,359 pets in 2020 alone, BISSELL Pet Foundation is again aiming to Empty the Shelters by sponsoring reduced adoption fees of $25 or less at 200 participating shelters and rescues in 36 states, including Young-Williams Animal Center, May 5-9.

 

All adoptable pets at the shelter, excluding puppies, can be adopted for $25, and BISSELL Pet Foundation (BPF) will sponsor the remainder of the adoption fee.

 

BISSELL Pet Foundation’s mission to find every pet a loving home is the driving force behind Empty the Shelters. In 2016, BPF created this reduced-fee adoption event to make an immediate impact on the nation’s ongoing pet homelessness problem. Since then, this program has encouraged prospective pet owners to consider adoption as their first option when bringing a pet into their family, as there are so many deserving animals waiting to be loved, and 49,360 pets have found homes from this program’s efforts.

 

Empty the Shelters is by far BPF’s biggest program and cannot continue going and growing without donor support. BPF makes adoption affordable and reimburses shelters for every pet adopted during the event to help cover spay/neuter, microchipping, vaccination and other costs of care. Since 2016, BPF has expanded its ETS reach from 24 shelters in one state to 365 shelters in 43 states plus Canada. The foundation is seeking donations to continue to expand ETS to more areas, and 100% of contributions will go directly to fund pet adoptions: www.bissellpetfoundation.org/empty-the-shelters-donations/.

 

“The national Empty the Shelters event in May will be our largest yet, and as a small foundation, we are incredibly proud to see the growth of this program as we continue to expand its impact,” said Cathy Bissell, Founder of BISSELL Pet Foundation. “Empty the Shelters not only helps our shelter partners free up space in their facilities, but it places pets in permanent homes. It’s a win-win for everyone involved … our partners, ETS adopters, and most importantly, the pets.”

 

“Our shelter is full of cats and dogs waiting to be adopted this spring,” Young-Williams Animal Center CEO Janet Testerman says. “We are grateful to BISSELL Pet Foundation for being a remarkable partner and committed to the lifesaving efforts of shelters like ours around the country. We hope this Empty the Shelters event will ensure animals at our shelter find the forever homes they deserve. The more adoptions we have, the more space we can offer for other stray and lost pets.”

 

BPF will also honor foster-to-adopt cases that start as fosters during May 5-9 and are finalized up to one week after the event.

 

BPF urges families to do their research prior to May 5, as many participating organizations are still operating under restricted protocols and procedures. For more information on adopting for donating to Empty the Shelters, visit www.bissellpetfoundation.org/ets.