Success at Maddie’s Pet Adoption Days

by Mark Robison, guest blogger and Co-Executive Director for Maddie’s® Pet Project – Saving Nevada’s Pets

 

It’s time to raise your paws in appreciation—more than 950 homeless cats and dogs were adopted out across Nevada for Maddie’s® Pet Adoption Days last weekend. I’d like to think it’s because of you for taking them in, and your friends for taking them in, and their friends for taking them in. You did this! You welcomed pets into your family all across Nevada and I couldn’t be more proud.

Forty-one shelters and rescue groups made it happen as part of a free-adoption event organized by Maddie’s® Pet Project in Nevada, a new three-year campaign aimed at helping more homeless cats and dogs find good homes and creating a safety net for pets by improving access to veterinary care in the Silver State.

Final numbers are not expected for another week, with some groups still verifying numbers. At this point, it’s confirmed that 657 dogs and 294 cats were adopted as part of the event. A few other animals were adopted, too: seven rabbits, four ducks, two guinea pigs, and one hamster.

Shelters and rescue groups participated in Maddie’s® Pet Adoption Days in 12 communities, including Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Reno, Sparks, Silver Springs, Ely, Fallon, Fernley, Yerington, Boulder City, Henderson, and Pahrump. In order to enable shelters to waive adoption fees, Maddie’s Pet Project is awarding participating organizations $300 for each cat and dog adopted out April 27-28 to cover sheltering expenses.

Lyon County Animal Shelter in Silver Springs was one of many places surprised by the event’s popularity. “We were thrilled by the response,” said shelter supervisor Nicole Cates. “I had expected to adopt out 12 dogs, and instead we adopted out twice that many.”

Jill Dobbs, executive director of the SPCA of Northern Nevada, said, “We loved interacting with so many people from our community who came to our adoption center for the event. It was inspiring to match 53 homeless pets with loving homes and watch the animals get their second chance at love.”

Nevada Humane Society adopted out 161 dogs and cats at the shelter’s Reno location and 18 in Carson City, plus seven other small animals.

“What an amazing experience,” said Carrie Brown, adoption manager at Nevada Humane Society. “I’m so glad to have been a part of it.”

The adoption event was made possible by Maddie’s Pet Project in Nevada thanks to funding from the Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation and Maddie’s Fund®. Their generosity is inspired by their miniature schnauzer Maddie, whose birthday was April 26. Gov. Brian Sandoval proclaimed it Maddie’s Day during a Reno ceremony, officially kicking off the three-year campaign.

To learn more about the Nevada campaign, visit maddiespetprojectnevada.org.