When cities come together for a cause, we often witness a level of success that can't be matched when they stand alone. A prime example of this success is the Empty the Shelter Day event on Saturday, Aug 16 when 38 North Texas cities, including Arlington, waived the adoption fees in their animal shelters.
"This was an incredible day for homeless animals across the Metroplex," said Susan Waits, Kennel Supervisor with the Animal Services Department.
"The City of Arlington Animal Services had lines waiting at the door before opening. All of our adoptable cats were adopted and we only had one dog left. We have made her our VIP Pet of the Week and reduced her adoption fee to $25 in an effort to find her a home soon."
In total, more than 2,200 animals were adopted in one day, with 87 getting adopted in Arlington. Typically, Arlington Animal Services adopts out 11 animals a day.
"Arlington Animal Services choose to participate for multiple reasons," said Waits. "The number of animals that enter our shelter in the summer months always exceeds the number of animals that get adopted or rescued which directly reflects on our live release rate. This was a great opportunity to be involved in a local widely advertised event to bring attention to the animals needing homes."
Due to the overwhelming success of the event, there are already plans to make the event bigger and better in the future. "There is a plan to make this an annual event and we hope to include the City of Austin to make it a statewide event," said Waits.
If you don't want to wait until next year to adopt your new pet, visit webapps.arlingtontx.gov/tmp/animals/ for a list of adoptable pets and to view the Mobile Pet Adoption Event schedule.
If you'd like to learn more about the Animal Services Department and the many services it provides, check out this video.
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