Dakin Humane Society holding fee-waived dog adoption event

SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) – If you’re looking to add a dog to your family, now may be the time. Dakin Humane Society in Springfield is currently taking part in a week-long event to get certain dogs adopted into loving families and homes.

Meet Cinderella, a dog currently sheltered at Dakin that is looking to live in a nice home with a loving family. Throughout this week, she might be able to do just that, thanks to the dog fee-waived adoption event currently underway.

“Because of economic conditions, we believe that some people are hesitant to adopt animals. There’s the food costs (and) veterinary costs. We want to almost say thank you to the people that are choosing to adopt right now and, by doing so, that is what one of these fee-waived adoption events does,” said Stacey Price, director of development and marketing for Dakin Humane Society.

Dakin is a partner in the event, which is led by the Massachusetts Animal Shelter Support Coalition, which was started by the MSPCA. Across Massachusetts, partnering shelters are looking to help dogs that are a year or older and those who adopt these eligible pups would have the fee waived. It’s a moment that brings lots of emotions both for the shelters and those looking to have a pet in their lives.

“We’re anxious because we’re like, ‘Is this going to be a match or is it not?’ because it has to be a match for both the human and the animal, but that quickly turns to joy,” Price added.

It’s the second straight month an event like this has been held. Last year’s dog adoption effort witnessed 157 total adoptions for the coalition, including 21 from Dakin. So far, in this month’s effort, there have been 21 overall adoptions and six of them have been from the Springfield shelter. It is an opportunity that Price told Western Mass News is important.

“For every animal that gets to find a home, it frees up another space at our shelter to accept another animal. We can say yes to an individual who needs to surrender their animal, we can help our local partners, have animals come in, or even help our national partners who are experiencing an overpopulation crisis right now,” Price noted.

As adorable pups like Cinderella await who they will be going home with, Price implored the pet-loving public to help out.

“If you’re looking to adopt right now, now’s the time, whether it’s a dog this week or a cat next week,” Price said.

The dog fee waived adoption event concludes at the end of Saturday. The coalition is also having a cat fee waived adoption event beginning Monday, August 26. Dakin’s a part of that and will get started on their end the very next day.

To find out which dogs are eligible and up for adoption at Dakin, CLICK HERE.

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