BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Best Friends Lifesaving Center (BFLC) has partnered with over 550 animal shelters and rescue partners nationwide for an adoption campaign. This campaign is in an effort to encourage people to adopt pets from local shelters.
Eight Arkansas shelters and Best Friends Lifesaving Center will be participating in the campaign this weekend from July 22 to July 24.
Fees will be waived at BFLC this weekend for all pets. Pets will be fixed, vaccinated or microchipped, and ready to go home.
Here is a list of local animal shelters that will be participating:
- Best Friends Lifesaving Center: 210 Prairie Lane, Bentonville
- Cabot Animal Support Services, 2951 S 1st St., Cabot
- Columbia County Animal Protection Society, Inc., 510 W Columbia St, Magnolia
- Community Cats Global, Jacksonville
- Fort Smith Animal Haven, Fort Smith
- Friends of Kitties & Kanines, Fort Smith
- Paws & Claws Pet Shelter, 2075 Madison 6555, Huntsville
- Pit Ridge Rescue, 921 Rader Rd Rogers
- Shoal Bay Animal Haven, 392 N Highway 197
According to data released by Best Friends, U.S. shelters saw an 8.1 percent increase in animal intakes that pet adoptions couldn’t keep pace with, in 2021.
Shelters are continuing to fill up this summer exceeding capacities.
"Following the immense success of our National Adoption Weekend in May, which resulted in 4,529 lives saved, we couldn’t wait to have a second National Adoption Weekend as soon as possible,” said Julie Castle, CEO of Best Friends Animal Society. “The summer months, and July in particular, is one of the highest intake months for animal shelters in America so we really encourage anyone who’s looking for a pet to adopt now.”
Best Friends cites many benefits to adopting a pet, including:
- A One Stop (Adoption) Shop: Most pets that you adopt from a shelter will come vaccinated, microchipped and spayed or neutered which saves you the time and cost of having to do it yourself, like when you purchase a pet.
- You Gain a Lifetime Partner in Your Pets Life: Shelters and animal welfare organizations care about your new family member and will be there to help you throughout the life of the pet with helpful resources and information.
- You are Saving At Least Two Lives: When you adopt you are saving the life of the pet you adopt and opening a spot at a shelter or rescue for a new animal in need of a forever home.
Best Friends says there are currently considerably more pets at risk of being killed in shelters than at this time last year. This is due to recent problems such as staffing shortages, limited shelter hours, decreased volunteers, and reduced adoption events.
“The sad truth is that there is a shelter crisis going on and when shelters get overcrowded and pets aren’t adopted quickly enough, lives are on the line,” Castle added. “If you’re not able to commit to adoption, ask your local shelter or rescue if you can foster a pet instead. Doing so will still make a tremendous impact in saving lives.”
For more information or to find a local shelter, click here.
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