A brighter holiday for everyone
The goal of the Best Friends Holiday Adoption Promotion is to get more pets into homes in time for New Year’s Eve. The event, which runs all during the month of December, features $25 adoption fees and has more NKUT Coalition members onboard than ever before. Nearly a dozen groups are ready to give the greatest gift to a homeless pet — a forever family. From municipal shelters to volunteer-based organizations, they’re all thrilled to make the most of this holiday season for their dogs and cats.
Event supports NKUT
The NKUT Coalition organizations are dedicated to getting pets into homes and being part of the Holiday Adoption Promotion is a great way to do just that. NKUT is an initiative led by Best Friends that brings together animal welfare organizations together to end the killing of dogs and cats in shelters throughout the state.
The folks at St. George Animal Shelter signed up right away. “We feel it is extremely important to place animals in homes during the holidays, not only for the animal, but also for the adopter,” says Sgt. Ivor Fuller, the shelter’s executive director. “The decrease in the adoption fee may make it easier for those who are looking for the perfect gift.”
Sgt. Fuller feels the event will help Duke the 2nd, a senior dog, find his new home. The nine-year-old chocolate Labrador has been at the shelter few months, and while he’s not great with other dogs, he’s still a playful guy ready for the right people. “We really enjoy working with Best Friends, and we always find great success when we are working together,” says Sgt. Fuller. “The Holiday Adoption marketing materials that are provided to the shelters are extremely helpful.”
Hobbs for the Holidays
Hobbs is a six-year-old Beagle mix who was surrendered to Paws for Life Utah with his brother Calvin. “Calvin was adopted and Hobbs has been just lost,” says Cathy Boruch, executive director. “He just gets passed over because he doesn't do well at our adoption events. He gets over stimulated and barks, even though he's generally not a barker.”
With a goal of 31 adoptions for the month, Cathy is pleased to take part in the event: “The holidays are a time when people get together with their loved ones and enjoy the togetherness that they share. It saddens all of us at Paws for Life Utah to see animals have to spend the holidays in shelters or in kennels, alone. This initiative provides incentives for us to network and promote the animals that really need to get a home for the holidays.”
Frankincense and forever families
Stella, the young shepherd mix, is one of the five dogs Iron County Animal Shelter would like to find homes for during the event. The sweet, spirited girl is so people-oriented that she flips out at the sight of them. “People turn away from after seeing her behavior, and they don’t give her a chance to show how awesome she is outside the kennel,” says Amber Rasch adoption coordinator. “The Holiday Adoption Promotion is just one more way for us to get the word out about the dogs we have available for adoption. It’s a good way to showcase those who are overlooked or need a little extra help finding a forever home.”
“A lot of thought and planning goes into these adoption promotions,” says Tracy Kelley, NKUT manager. “The groups that participate experience great success. I am excited to see so many groups take advantage of this opportunity, especially our municipal shelter partners like St. George and Iron County.”