SOUTHERN UTAH – Among the most meaningful holiday gifts is the affection of a loyal pet. Though furry friends look appealing in pet store cages, there are countless animals up for adoption from shelters and rescue groups. Many are running out of time and desperately seeking a home.
“Adoption is an important factor in the goal to reduce the number of animals killed in shelters,” said Tami Simon, event supervisor for Best Friends Animal Society’s No More Homeless Pets network. “And by adopting one, room is made for another to be saved! Only with groups and the community working together can we save them all.”
Many organizations are currently offering discounted adoption fees and hosting events to encourage prospective “pet parents” to take the plunge. Throughout December, Best Friends will cut prices by 50 percent and provide free transportation of adopted pets anywhere in the country. Because Animals Matter is experiencing their highest adoption numbers of the year, finding homes for seven dogs in the last 30 days.
On Saturday, animal welfare groups from across Southern Utah will jointly host the Home for the Holidays Super Pet Adoption event. Attendees can browse adoptable pets from Best Friends, BAM, the Washington City Animal Shelter, the St. George Animal Shelter, the Enoch Animal Shelter, the Ivins Animal Shelter, We Care for Animals, Sadie’s Safe Haven for Animals, Petmatchers Inc., P.A.W.S. and H.A.R.T.
The event will be held at the PAWS Adoption Center, 1125 West 1130 North in St. George, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, contact Mary Bemis at 435-632-1089 or [email protected].
Sponsored by H.A.R.T., an adoption fair and holiday market will also be held on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Washington City Community Center. The event features a pet psychic, family photo booth with Santa, vendor booths, kids’ activities and dogs and cats available for adoption.
All proceeds will benefit H.A.R.T., the Washington City Animal Shelter and the Washington City Police Department’s K-9 program. For more information, contact H.A.R.T. at 435-705-9835 or [email protected].
Adoption can bring boundless joy to both owner and pet, but isn’t for everyone. Be sure you’re ready to devote the time, money and attention pets need to enjoy a healthy and rewarding life. Even more important is determining what kind of animal will work with your family’s lifestyle. Helpful resources include HealthyPet.com’s “Find the Right Pet for You,” adoption information from Petfinder and Parade’s “10 tips on adopting the right cat or dog.”
“While adoption is important at any time of the year, it can be especially meaningful at Christmas. Not only are you giving this dog or cat a chance at living a life in a loving home, but you and your family will be rewarded so greatly by the amount of love and appreciation you’ll get back from your new family member,” H.A.R.T. volunteer Cathy Williams said. “At the same time, you need to make sure your entire family is ready for this commitment, because you really are bringing a new member into your family. That’s not something that should be taken lightly.”
To locate adoptable pets in Southern Utah, check local listings on Petfinder.
Ed. note: Updated Dec. 12 at 11:15 a.m. to reflect new location for the Holiday Super Pet Adoption event.
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Thank you for the great article on adopting pets for the holidays. Great links to all the resources to make it a successful happening. The only thing you didn’t talk about is that many people just adopt a pet until it’s inconvenient for them. They move or someone is allergic or they divorce or whatever, the circumstances change and the pet becomes disposable. Please, remember that when you adopt a pet, it is for the entire length of that pet’s life ~