By Duncan Nixon
Correspondent
During December, more than 400 shelters nationwide will reduce adoption fees and find loving homes for pets by participating in Empty the Shelters Holiday Hope reduced-fee adoption event Dec. 1-17. BISSELL Pet Foundation a national animal welfare organization dedicated to ending pet homelessness, is bringing holiday hope to homeless pets this holiday season. The Fluvanna SPCA is among the 400-plus shelters in 45 states involved in the event.
To help deserving shelter pets find loving homes, the BISSELL Pet Foundation sponsors reduced adoption fees of $50 or less per cat or dog during each nationwide event. The Fluvanna SPCA will offer free adoptions for all vaccinated, microchipped, spayed/neutered dogs and cats.
BISSELL Pet Foundation is a non-profit, charitable organization with a mission to help reduce the number of animals in shelters through pet adoption, spay/neuter programs, vaccinations, microchipping, and crisis and disaster response. Founded in 2011 by Cathy Bissell, BPF is an extension of her long-standing love for animals and commitment to their welfare. BPF has since partnered with more than 6,000 shelters and rescues across the U.S. and Canada to help pets find loving homes. The foundation is supported by generous donors and BISSELL Inc. where every purchase saves pets.
BISSELL Pet Foundation’s Empty the Shelters event is the largest funded adoption event in the country. This lifesaving event began in 2016 to encourage more families to choose adoption. More than 300,000 pets have found loving homes since its inception. Empty the Shelters is BISSELL Pet Foundation’s largest program, partnering with 800 animal welfare organizations in 48 states and Canada to reduce adoption fees.
“It has been an incredibly challenging year for saving lives, as our nation’s shelters continue to take in more pets than they are adopting out. Tens of thousands of shelter pets—of all breeds, ages, and personalities, are desperately in need of homes,” said Cathy Bissell, Founder of BISSELL Pet Foundation. “Empty the Shelters Holiday Hope is more than an adoption event; it’s a lifeline for shelter pets. Please visit your local participating shelter to adopt or foster a pet this holiday season.”
This is the first time the Fluvanna SPCA is participating in Empty the Shelters. They are almost at full capacity and hope this event can help them, get some of their adorable dogs and cats adopted to their forever families. Available animals for adoption can be viewed at https://www.fspca.org/adopt. Many animals will also be available for foster to adopt. All families will receive one-on-one support from the shelter post-adoption or during foster for a successful experience for animals and families.
BISSELL Pet Foundation and The Fluvanna SPCA urge families to research the pet they are interested in adopting, as well as adoption requirements. For more information on adopting or donating to Empty the Shelters, visit www.bissellpetfoundation.org/empty-the-shelters and https://www.fspca.org/.
