MOLINE, Ill. — According to the ASPCA, roughly 6.3 million pets go into the shelter system yearly, and in 2023, the number of pets in shelters increased by about 2%.
Every year during the holiday season, the BISSELL Pet Foundation helps many shelter animals find a loving home through its "Empty the Shelters — Holiday Hope" event.
From Dec. 1 to Dec. 17, over 380 participating shelters across 43 states will be able to offer reduced adoption fees through the Foundation's annual event.
"Our nation's animal shelters need your help as they face an overcrowding crisis unlike anything we have experienced in more than a decade. The devastating increase in owner surrenders and stray intakes has left tens of thousands of deserving pets desperate to find a home," Cathy Bissell, the founder of the BISSELL Pet Foundation, said in a press release. "Our 'Empty the Shelters – Holiday Hope' event is the perfect opportunity to make a difference in your community by saving a life and creating space to give another homeless pet a chance this holiday season."
Here are some of the participating shelters in the greater Quad Cities area:
- Quad City Animal Welfare Center in Milan, Illinois
- Des Moines County Humane Society in Burlington, Iowa
- Humane Society of Scott County in Davenport, Iowa
- Muscatine Humane Society in Muscatine, Iowa
An interactive map with all the participating shelters can be found here.
Since the program began in 2016, the BISSELL Pet Foundation has helped over 204,000 animals get adopted throughout the United States and Canada by reducing the cost of adoption to $50 or less during its "Empty the Shelters — Holiday Hope" event.
While pets as a holiday gift can be exciting, BISSELL Pet Foundation organizers want to remind prospective pet parents that pet ownership is a long-term obligation.
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