Clear the Shelters

media release: Dane County Humane Society (DCHS) is wrapping up their month-long Clear The Shelters promotion with the largest adoption fee discounts yet for all animal groups on August 26 and August 27..

From 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, adoption fees for dogs will be reduced by $75, critter fees will be reduced by 50%, and cat fees will be reduced to just $10 for adults and seniors and $75 for kittens. Animals in DCHS’s Lonely Hearts Club (LHC) will have special, further reduced fees to encourage adoption of these longer-stay animals. LHC dogs will have a flat fee of $100, and fees for LHC cats will be waived completely.

This weekend event is the finale of a month-long promotion which reduced fees for one group of DCHS animals each week throughout August. Over those three weeks, 210 pets were adopted into new homes! DCHS estimates up to 100 animals will be looking for homes this weekend.

“The support from our community during the first three weeks of Clear The Shelters month has been amazing,” says Lisa Bernard, Public Relations Coordinator. “This weekend is really our final big push. We hope to see every adoptable cat, dog, and critter enclosure empty, and we think that is definitely possible with how our community has responded so far.”

Adoption at DCHS is first come, first served, so those interested in adopting a particular animal are encouraged to come to the shelter to meet with that animal as soon as they can. It is recommended that adopters check DCHS’s website and come prepared with more than one potential pet in mind, in case the pet they were interested in is adopted before their turn.

Upon arrival at the event, potential adopters will be added to a waitlist to meet their pets of choice. Those on the waitlist will receive a text message when it is their turn to meet with an adoption counselor and one or two animals. DCHS will be at maximum adoption capacity, with a large number of staff and volunteers focused solely on adoptions

Adopters should bring leashes, carriers, and any other supplies needed to bring a pet home that day. DCHS will have these items available for purchase at the Adoption Center for those who need them.

The event will take place at DCHS’s main shelter at 5132 Voges Road in Madison. The Adoption Center will be closed after the event on Monday, August 28, to allow staff to recuperate and prepare to resume normal operations.