For the month of December, Silicon Valley animal shelters will be offering $12 adoption fees for all adult animals in an effort to find homes for over 1,200 animals in the area this holiday season. The “Shelters First” campaign hopes to raise awareness of adoption at shelters since at present only 25% of pet owners adopt from shelters.
Participating shelters include the Humane Society Silicon Valley, Santa Clara County Animal Shelter, City of Palo Alto Animal Services, Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority, City of San Jose Animal Care and Services, and Town Cats.
“We need to raise awareness to the point where another 5% of owners adopt from our shelters,” says Albert Escobar, Program Manager at Santa Clara County Animal Care and Control. “That will put thousands more animals in loving homes—and forever eliminate shelter overcrowding.”
Currently, all six shelters are bursting at the seams, forcing them to transfer animals between shelters and move others into foster care homes—but these are just short-term solutions to a bigger problem.
“Dogs and cat should not be in shelters. They should be living in homes,” says Beth Ward, Chief Operating Officer at Humane Society Silicon Valley. “Our shelters are beautiful, but they’re not home. Our volunteers and staff are warm and wonderful, but they’re not the same as a permanent, loving family.”
This holiday season, consider giving the ultimate gift to a homeless animal by visiting one of the six shelters and making a furry friend part of your family.
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