August 24th, 2018
Last Saturday Almost Home participated in Clear the Shelters for the third year. Clear the Shelters is a nationwide adoption event. Thanks to Clear the Shelters, 107 pets (dogs, cats, rabbits, rats and guinea pigs) from Almost Home and more than 92,000 pets across the country found homes on Saturday!
When Saturday was approaching the shelter was more full than it had ever been at this time of year, so the adoptions were both thrilling and very much needed. We adopted all but two of our adoptable dogs and found homes for a large number of our available cats. Thanks to this event our cat rooms are back to a more manageable number of cats and we were able to place some of our long-term canine residents.
Many years ago, large “mega adoption” events like Clear the Shelters were believed to be a danger to shelter animals but research has shown that it’s not the amount of money paid a for pet that creates a bond. Mega adoptions have helped shelters across the country save more pets and have opened adoption avenues for people who might not have previously adopted. We also see a very low number of return adoptions from events such as Clear the Shelters.
Do we worry about the returns we do see? No. Returned adoptions really just give us the opportunity to gather more information about a pet and improve our chances of a better match with a second adoption. It also can help us find a better match for the adopter. Not every adoption is a perfect match and we really want to make sure that each match is a success for both the pet and the adopter. Rather than looking at a return as a failure, we feel they are a break from the kennel for the pet and a chance to learn more.
If you’re one of the thousands of the families that added a pet to your family during Clear the Shelters, thank you for adopting.
Filed in Adoption