CARE waiving adoption fees during BISSELL’s Empty the Shelters
Cincinnati Animal CARE Waives Adoption Fees in Partnership with BISSELL Pet Foundation in Response to Population
Hamilton County’s Shelter On Pace to Intake More Than 450 Dogs in July
Tuesday, July 16, 2024 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Cincinnati Animal CARE, Hamilton County’s only open-intake animal shelter, will waive adoption fees through Sunday, July 21st, in response to a record setting month of dog intake.
CAC is on pace to take in 450 dogs this July, more than 100 dogs over any previous July in the history of the organization. The surge is believed to be due to the Fourth of July holiday and the Hurricane Beryl storms that swept through the tristate over the past week.
“Seeing a higher number of animals enter the shelter during the summer is not unusual, however, Cincinnati Animal CARE is on pace to take in a record 450 dogs this month, a 30% increase over last year. This is not sustainable when our goal is lifesaving. We started the month with 593 dogs already in care. This huge influx has put us at critical population levels the last two weeks,” says Meaghan Colville, Director of Shelter Operations for CAC.
“Adoption fees help offset the cost of daily care, preventative vaccines, and spay/neuter, but if waiving the adoption fee can get just one more animal out the door and into a loving home, we are willing to take the loss financially.”
Since July 1st, 217 dogs and 148 cats have come through CAC, for a total of 365 animals, and an average of 24 animals per day. Waived adoption fees don’t change the standard adoption process, as all adoption counseling and screening protocols remain in place throughout the promotional period.
Cincinnati Animal CARE follows nationwide best practices, and multiple studies have shown that reduced or waived adoption fees lead to more successful adoptions, long-time shelter residents finding homes, and an increased lifesaving rate for open-intake animal shelters.
CARE’s Waived Adoption Fee promotion is in partnership with the Bissell Pet Foundation, a national animal welfare organization dedicated to ending pet homelessness, with whom they have partnered for the month of July. BISSELL Pet Foundation’s Empty the Shelters event is the largest funded adoption event in the country. This lifesaving event began in 2016 with a goal of encouraging more families to choose adoption.
More than 253,000 pets have found loving homes since its inception. Empty the Shelters is BISSELL Pet Foundation’s largest program, partnering with 742 animal welfare organizations in 49 states and Canada to reduce adoption fees.
About Cincinnati Animal CARE
Cincinnati Animal CARE is Hamilton County’s ONLY open-intake animal shelter and a young, rapidly growing entity focused on expanding our lifesaving mission as a shelter of the future in our community. With our robust foster program and volunteer force, dedicated care from our experienced teams, community outreach, education initiatives, and partnerships with national organizations composed of other like-minded, industry professionals, we can further the mission of bettering the lives of companion animals and the system as a whole. We do things differently because we CARE. To learn more about Cincinnati Animal CARE visit cincinnatianimalcare.org.
About BISSELL Pet Foundation:
BISSELL Pet Foundation is a charitable 501©(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to help reduce the number of animals in shelters through pet adoption, spay/neuter programs, vaccinations, microchipping and emergency support. Founded in 2011 by Cathy Bissell, BPF is an extension of her long-standing love for animals and commitment to their welfare. BPF has since partnered with more than 6,000 shelters and rescues across the U.S. and Canada to help pets find loving homes. The foundation is supported by generous donors and BISSELL Inc. where every purchase saves pets. To learn more, visit www.bissellpetfoundation.org.
