The dog — and cat — days of summer start this afternoon with an event at the Hawaii Island Humane Society locations in Keaau and Kona to celebrate a summer of no adoption fees.
HIHS is hosting an event this evening as a kick off to its Dog + Cat Days of Summer. From today at 4 p.m. through Sunday, Sept. 25, adoptions will be free for all animals that are six months and older.
“We got some grants that provide funding for life-saving purposes and adoptions, and we thought, why not offer free adoptions to the community to help get these pets into good homes,” said CEO Lauren Nickerson. “Summers tend to have higher populations of animals in shelters and we’re seeing fewer going out the door.”
While adoption fees will be waived, regular adoption applications, processes and screenings will still be required before anyone can take a pet home.
From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. today, HIHS is inviting the public to come to the shelters to meet the dogs and cats available for adoption.
“We want to remind the community that we are here, we have animals, and we hope they consider bringing a shelter pet home one day,” Nickerson said. “We’ve never been open late before, so we’re really excited for this family-friendly event.”
The event will take place at the Keaau Shelter and The Animal Community Center in Kona and will feature refreshments, door prizes, coupons for the retail shop and adoptable dogs and cats.
“Even if you’re not looking to adopt, this is a fantastic chance to come visit our shelters, say hi to the animals, and learn about our program,” Nickerson said. “We have so many friendly cats and dogs that are ready to be in homes and not in kennels.”
More information on free adoptions, screening processes, fostering and the pet pantry can be found at hihs.org.
