The Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter is reducing adoption fees on all dogs through Wednesday, July 31 to reduce overcrowding.
“We are currently out of kennels for new strays,” said Mindy Naticchioni, an administrator at the animal shelter, in the release. “If you’ve been considering bringing a fur baby into your home, the Empty the Shelters event provides a great opportunity to do so at a reduced cost.”
During the Empty Shelters event, fees will be lowered from $95 to $30, including spay/neuter services, vaccines, a 2024 dog license, microchipping and a current rabies tag, the county announced Wednesday in a media release.
Post-pandemic overcrowding has been a common problem for kennels across the state, with many saying they are in crisis. Cuyahoga County recently spent $2.7 million to expand play areas. Although officials said that improved the dogs’ health and happiness, it did not include any additional kennel space.
Pet adoptions increased at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic as shutdowns left people with more time at home. But as people have been recalled to the office in the years since, many of those animals have been returned to shelters, causing the Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter’s 111 kennel spaces to often be fully occupied.
“Shelters are continuing to experience high intake levels, causing a significant strain on the animals,” Naticchioni.
To recoup costs when reducing fees, the shelter is partnering with the Bissell Pet Foundation, a nonprofit that works to reduce the number of animals in shelters, according to the group.
In 2016, the foundation started the Empty the Shelters program to make pet adoption affordable by reimbursing participating organizations for each adoption. So far, it has facilitated 247,390 pet adoptions.
This year’s event runs from July 8 through 31 and has 800 participating partners, including Cuyahoga County, across the United States and Canada.
The Bissell Pet Foundation will donate $50 to the Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter for every completed adoption.
The shelter is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m.to 4:00 p.m. and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.