Future Perfect

The Pet Super Adoption wrapped up just a few hours ago, and we are thrilled with its results.  472 dogs and cats are spending tonight with their new families...meeting siblings (of various species), cozying up in new beds, checking out the neighborhood on evening walks, and hopefully realizing that they finally have their own place in the world.

It really was a beautiful weekend.  The sun shone, a light breeze cooled things off, and people turned out in droves to add a pet to their families. 

On Friday, just before we opened the gates, we were shocked to see a line of people that stretched on and on.  We've had opening day crowds before, but this was unprecedented.

When the gates opened, the rush was on, and a buzz of excitement was in the air.  People flowed into the one big cat tent and the four open-sided dog tents, and began the difficult task of choosing from among the hundreds of available pets.

By the end of the first day, we had hit a new record...163 pets adopted in just five hours.  On Saturday, the crowds continued, and well over 200 dogs and cats went home with new families.   The pace slowed on Sunday, but still nearly 100 pets were adopted.

 
One of those who went home today was Sumo, an older, overweight (he prefers "stocky") black Lab. That's his cute mug pictured above.  Sumo won everyone's heart by being his sweet lab-ish self, and was difficult to ignore since he spent an hour Saturday sprawled out right in front of the entrance to the cat tent, napping. 

We'll have to analyze the paperwork to know how many of the "Katrina pets" found homes, but they are all "Utah pets" now, whether they're spending tonight with foster families, in a veterinary clinic, or with permanent families.  And eventually they will all be matched with people who think they hung the moon...and their history will matter less than their future.

Of course, we'd love nothing more than to finally reach the point where these adoption events are no longer necessary, when every friendly, healthy pet has a home to call his or her own.  Spaying and neutering is the only way to really solve the pet overpopulation problem. That's why the Big Fix, our mobile spay/neuter clinic, was on hand this weekend to fix adopted pets before they went home.   

A great big thank you to our sponsors (Petsmart, ProPlan, City Weekly, and B98.7), to the volunteers who come back year after year, to all of the loving families who opened their hearts to a rescued pet, to the groups and shelter staff who work hard all year long, and to everyone who has donated in support of our efforts.  Working together, we have saved lives.

Comments

[Kris E]

I was just wondering if any of the animals that were adopted could still have their owners searching for them. I know i am involved with several people that are currently looking for their pets from Katrina Hurricane.

I know alot of people wouldn't be able to take their pets back home for many months, maybe some not ever. But, it would be nice if they knew that their
pet(s)had a new home and were out of harms way.

[Kate at No More Homeless Pets]

I understand the concern that pets displaced by the hurricane be given every chance to reunite with their original families. However, all of the pets we have so far brought back from Texas and the Gulf Coast were homeless prior to the storm. They don't have owners to reunite with. By bringing them to Utah, we have actually helped the shelters in and nearby the region to hold onto potentially owned pets longer, so their families hopefully can find them.

[Kris E]

Thats wonderful .. thank you for answering my post.
I will be applying to fostercare for a small soon.
And I have made a decision that i will keep doing that even after the initial pet i care for has been reunited or until a permenent home can be found.

I want to get a katrina pet that had tags or a chip in hopes of reuniting it with it's owner.

Thanks again,

Kris