Young-Williams Animal Center is wrapping up its Empty the Shelters adoption event after a two-week run.
Done in partnership with BISSELL Pet Foundation, the event waives adoption fees for cats and dogs over 6 months old.
“The financial aspect of adoption should never be the reason a person cannot enjoy the human-animal bond,” Amber Mullins, Young-Williams Animal Center data and stewardship manager, said.
The event began on Oct. 1 and ends on Oct. 15. Instead of collecting adoption fees, the shelter accepts optional monetary donations. Typically, fees for adult dogs are $40, and fees for adult cats are $25. Fees for cats over three years old are always free.
“We partner with Bissell Pet Foundation to make our already low-cost adoption fees even lower,” Mullins said.
Young-Williams Animal Center is the municipal animal shelter of the City of Knoxville and Knox County. Each year, the shelter takes in around 10,000 animals. With the end of this year’s spring and summer puppy season, Young-Williams Animal Center has recently taken in a significant number of animals. In July, the shelter reached critical capacity, accepting only emergency intakes.
“We can all do our part to support animals in need, whether in our shelter or in a home environment through our outreach services,” Young-Williams Animal Center CEO Janet Testerman said in a statement to WVLT-8 in July.
The shelter hosted a BISSELL Empty the Shelters event in July to help alleviate the high capacity. Hosting the event again in October helps further increase adopter turnout, Mullins said.
“October is a hard event month to predict due to fall break for surrounding schools, including UT,” Mullins said. “However, we usually have a great turnout with Bissell Pet Foundation, and we are so grateful they host these events for us.”
The event aligns closely with the animal center’s vision, which is to find “a home for every pet.” Housing animals pushes the shelter further towards its general mission of fostering human-animal bonds as well as promoting animal welfare and reducing animal homelessness in Knoxville.
Young-Williams Animal Center will host another Empty the Shelters event in December.
“Our employees love this event not just to see an increase of animals finding their forever homes, but to also see the joy it brings our adopters,” Mullins said.
