National Adoption Weekend in Shelby - Shelby Star

The atmosphere outside of the Shelby PetSmart was all smiles, hugs and belly rubs on Saturday as a host of playful pups greeted shoppers with the hopes that someone might take them home.

This weekend is National Adoption Weekend, a collective national effort to raise awareness about adoption and the need for homes for surrendered or unwanted animals.

The Cleveland County Animal Shelter came to the event with six dogs ready to go home with a new family. Within an hour of setting up, one lucky pooch had already found a home.

“These dogs all come from different situations. Some of them are strays, owner surrenders or taken in from animal cruelty cases,” said Tyler Moore, shelter supervisor at Cleveland County Animal Services.

Over the last two years Cleveland County Animal Services has been looking for ways to encourage more adoptions either from its shelter or from the cat habitats at PetSmart.

That effort has involved reducing adoption costs from over $100 per animal to just $20 for cats and $40 for dogs and running regular specials to further discount the cost.

Adoption fees pay for a pet’s spay or neuter, vaccines and heartworm treatments if needed and microchipping.

The effort has paid off for the shelter, especially as far as cats are concerned. The shelter did not have any cats to send to the adoption weekend event Saturday because they had run out of cats available to adopt.

“We’ve been moving a lot of animals here. We can barely keep cats (at PetSmart),” said Moore. “I think that will change here soon, though. As it warms up and cats start going into heat more, we will see a lot more kittens coming in.”

Over the last fiscal year the shelter found homes for some 527 cats and kittens just by putting them on display at PetSmart. The storefront has found homes for 40 cats in the last month.

“There are days we get new four new cats in here and within 30 minutes three of them are gone,” said Taylor McGinnis, manager at PetSmart. “I think it is because we are a little more convenient for people to get to. Everyone who goes to Wal-Mart comes right by here. We are open later than the shelter, and we are open on weekends which makes it easier for some people to come to us than to go there.”

In addition to the animals brought to shopping center by animal services, Clifford’s Army Rescue Extravaganza had more than 20 dogs available for adoption. Many of those brought to the event come from being severely neglected or abused, but through the work of volunteers and fosters have recovered and are ready to go back to a permanent home.

Due to the nonprofit’s more extensive adoption process, none of the dogs could be taken home from the event, but Deb Hardin, founder and president of Clifford’s Army, said they had several applications for adoption filed on Saturday.

With so many dogs around the area needing a place to live, Hardin said she feels adoption is easily the best way to find a new pet.

“I know this sounds crazy but when you adopt a rescue it’s like they know they’ve gotten that second chance, and they really are the most appreciative animals,” she said.

In the case of the Cleveland County Animal Shelter, every adoption is worth closer to two lives saved, Moore said.

“If you think about it when you adopt from us, you are opening up kennel space for another dog. That kennel space is more valuable than beachfront property. If it is empty, then we are able to take another dog in,” he said.

Adoption weekend events will continue Sunday at the Shelby PetSmart. The shelter will bring more animals available for adoption to the event, and the shop will offer discounts to anyone who adopts a dog.

Dustin George can be reached at 704-669-3337 or Dustin.George@ShelbyStar.com. Find him on Twitter @DustinatTheStar.