Free Adoption Day is coming Saturday at Pasadena Humane
(Left) Silver (A509069) is a sweet and calm 5-month-old bundle of love. She enjoys being held and getting lots of attention. In fact, you’ll often find her meowing at the front of her kennel, waiting to be petted. She’s also a big fan of treats! Brighten your day by bringing her home. (Middle) Bella (A508062) is a 5-year-old lab/shepherd mix ready to find her best friend. She is a very mellow girl who likes sniffing and exploring. Bella knows some basic commands, but her preferred trick is to follow you around and bat her big brown eyes or nudge you with her nose until you give her a reward. She is just as content to get pets or scratches as she is to get a tasty treat. (Right) Petunia (A509246) is a charming bunny who loves to greet her favorite people. She plays a game where she comes up to you and lets you pet her, then she runs in a circle, comes back for another pet, and runs off again! What a silly girl! She even makes little piggy noises, which is why her foster parent named her Petunia. (Photos courtesy of Pasadena Humane)
Last month, we held our first Free Adoption Day of the summer. To say it was a huge success would be an understatement. In one day, 124 animals were adopted! I watched in amazement as 92 felines, 28 pups, and four critters, departed the shelter for their new homes.
It was cause for celebration for all the dedicated Pasadena Humane staff, volunteers and donors who make events like this possible. Our team cheered as dogs that had been in our care for months — like Paco and Truffles — found new homes that day.
After the day’s joy and excitement, I was disheartened when — just two days later — our kennels were full again. Intake is up at our shelter, as it is at shelters across the country. We are seeing more animals come into our care in 2023 compared to the previous three years.
Leading factors for the rise in the number of animals needing shelter seem to be the economy, housing instability, a general return to post-pandemic life and a very busy kitten season for outdoor cats.
With so many animals at the shelter, we need our community’s help. If you are thinking of adopting a pet, please don’t wait. We currently have hundreds of dogs, puppies, cats, kittens and critters waiting for new homes. I’d like to introduce you to three of them:
Bella (A508062) is a 5-year-old lab/shepherd mix ready to find her best friend. She is a very mellow girl who likes sniffing and exploring. Bella knows some basic commands, but her preferred trick is to follow you around and bat her big brown eyes or nudge you with her nose until you give her a reward. She is just as content to get pets or scratches as she is to get a tasty treat.
Silver (A509069) is a sweet and calm 5-month-old bundle of love. She enjoys being held and getting lots of attention. In fact, you’ll often find her meowing at the front of her kennel, waiting to be petted. She’s also a big fan of treats! Brighten your day by bringing her home.
Petunia (A509246) is a charming bunny who loves to greet her favorite people. She plays a game where she comes up to you and lets you pet her, then she runs in a circle, comes back for another pet, and runs off again! What a silly girl! She even makes little piggy noises, which is why her foster parent named her Petunia.
Our next Free Adoption Day is this Saturday, July 15, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. July 15. Thanks to our longtime donor Gabrielle Bruveris, the adoption fee for all available pets will be waived. All pets are spayed/neutered, microchipped and up to date on vaccines. No appointment is necessary to adopt.
To learn more about adopting a pet and to view photos of the animals at the shelter, go to pasasdenahumane.org/adopt
Dia DuVernet is president and CEO of Pasadena Humane.
This blog post originally appeared as a column in the Pasadena Star-News on July 14, 2023.
