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Summer of Love to deal with the crazy


The summer months are crazy for shelters.


Our intake goes from an average of 140 pets a month to 300 to 400 pets a month. That could be a
very crowded shelter if we didn’t ramp up our adoption events and work to find good homes as quickly as we can.
 Over the last two years, we have called our summer adoption promotion the “Summer of 1,000 Lives.” This year, we are calling it the “Summer of Love.” It kicks off the weekend of June 3 with FREE Love Friday, featuring free adoptions, and Peace Saturday and Sunday, during which adoptions will be $2 (though exceptions may apply). Our “Summer of Love” will last until the end of August and will feature specials with adoption fees from half-off to free all summer long.
 Some might think that by reducing adoption fees and offering free adoptions, we are somehow suggesting the pets have no value.
 We are not giving away pets, but are adopting them out for low or no fee in an effort to entice people to adopt. Our staff goes through the same screening process we would use with a regularly-priced adoption, and our return rate is no different during promotional times. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has researched free adoption promotions, and studies show that people are just as likely to keep a pet they adopted for free as one they paid for.
 The love is the same and the commitment is the same. It doesn’t mean they don’t have value; it means that we value them enough to save them and not euthanize for space purposes. We don’t believe a pet should lose its life just because it doesn’t have a home or a shelter is full. The free or low-cost adoptions allow us to adopt out a lot of pets in a short period of time. They also open up space to bring in more owned pets and assist other overcrowded shelters that are forced to euthanize for time and space and need help.
 The summer is also when we get the most stray pets coming in and the time when staff is the most stressed. These adoption events help alleviate the stress and make the environment fun and exciting. There is nothing we love more than a good adopter.
 People sponsor adoption fees all the time to help pets find homes, and this Summer of Love event is no different. Terry Volkswagen Subaru is sponsoring the month of June, and if you know of a business or person interested in sponsoring the other months, just let us know. This summer also will feature summer camps for kids in the elementary age range; Camp Happiness brings a lot of love to the pets here at the center all summer long.
 We will be ending our Summer of Love with a mini music festival with a Woodstock theme, so throw on your tie-dye and your flower crown and stop by this summer for some Peace, Love and Happiness.

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