In the spirit of the season, Front Street Animal Shelter is spreading joy by waiving adoption fees until Christmas Eve, allowing families the opportunity to welcome a new furry friend into their homes at no cost.
This initiative arose out of necessity, as the shelter declared early in December that it had surpassed maximum capacity, prompting them to use office spaces to house dogs. Currently caring for around 650 animals, the shelter’s communication manager, Ryan Hinderman, expressed the urgency of the situation.
“Most dogs that can be safely paired with others have already found companions, leaving us with no additional room to maintain humane and safe conditions for the animals,” Hinderman explained.
Since launching their fee-waived adoption campaign on December 9, the shelter has successfully rehomed 300 animals. However, recent storms have resulted in an influx of new arrivals, intensifying the need for adoptions.
Beyond the joy of giving a pet a forever home, adopting from Front Street Animal Shelter during this period provides substantial savings for new pet owners. Hinderman emphasized, “Every adopted animal will be spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped. These services, if obtained independently, would typically cost between $500 and $1,000. By adopting, you receive all of this without the usual adoption fee, which is currently nonexistent.”
As the shelter works diligently to clear kennel space, they are reaching out to the community for assistance in reuniting lost dogs with their owners. Hinderman urged, “If you find a lost dog and are able to hold onto it for even a couple of days before bringing it to the shelter, there’s a good chance you could locate the owner before they need to enter our already-packed facility.”
The shelter provided the following tips for individuals who find a lost dog:
Have the dog scanned for a microchip at a veterinary office or shelter.
Create a found pet posting on platforms such as Nextdoor, Craigslist, PawBoost, and local lost and found pet Facebook pages.
Walk the dog around the neighborhood, as most dogs are found close to home. Asking neighbors for information can be valuable.
Upload the dog’s photo to Petco Love Lost, a free facial recognition tool that facilitates owners in locating their pets.
File a pet report at 24PetWatch and Pawboost.
Post colorful “Found Dog” flyers at the busiest intersections within a 1-mile radius of where the dog was found.
Hinderman concluded, “Our Christmas miracle would be to make some space and bring joy to lucky families with these wonderful pets.”
