In an effort to address the high number of pets in need in Florida, Animal Care is spearheading the Petco Love Florida Mega Adoption Event, in partnership with Petco Love and various animal welfare organizations across 33 counties in the state. Set to take place from June 28 to June 30, the initiative aims to find homes for an ambitious number of 2,000 dogs and cats currently residing in shelters, according to an announcement by the local animal services department.
The sizable adoption event hopes to drastically reduce the euthanasia rates in Florida shelters, which have been alarmingly high; a staggering 22,616 pets were euthanized in 2021, placing the state at 46th in the nation for saving the lives of sheltered animals, this data paints a grim picture of the situation urging the organizations to push harder this year, after last year's event saw the successful adoption of 1,946 animals. To encourage families to adopt, all pets will be spayed, neutered, vaccinated, and adoption fees will be completely waived, with certain exceptions in place.
Prospective pet owners can meet adoptable animals at specific locations including the Broward County Animal Care center and a Petco store in Davie, with details and operation hours provided on the Broward County website. Doug Brightwell, Broward County Animal Care Director, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, "Broward County Animal Care is thrilled to partner with Petco Love on this monumental effort to find homes for 2,000 deserving pets." The event, funded by a grant to the Jacksonville Humane Society from Petco Love, is also facilitated by their Florida Leaders in Lifesaving program.
Public interest and support can be further engaged through social media platforms where updates and success stories will be shared, using the hashtag #MegaAdoptFL, interested individuals can also head over to MegaAdoptFlorida.com for more information about the event and surrounding activities. Animal Care and Petco Love emphasize the role of the community in driving the success of such lifesaving missions, with Petco Love having a history of impactful philanthropy in the animal welfare space, investing over $330 million since its inception in 1999 and facilitating over 6.5 million pet adoptions.
