Two weeks ago, the kennels of the Adams County SPCA in Pennsylvania were nearly full with dogs in need of homes. The most recent residents are spending the Christmas with their new families, and the institution is dog-free for the first time in almost 50 years.
“To say we are ecstatic would be an understatement! The animal shelter wrote on Facebook on Friday, “The staff and volunteers have worked VERY hard to take care of the animals in our care and to make sure they got adopted to the right home.” “It’s a real miracle that the Adams County SPCA is empty at Christmas—this is the first time in 47 YEARS!”
The shelter reported that one stray cat had arrived right before the announcement and was seeking sanctuary at the location.
This year, the southern Pennsylvania shelter reported that it reunified 125 strays with their owners and adopted out 598 animals.
The ASPCA estimates that 6.3 million companion animals nationwide enter shelters annually. Approximately 3.1 million of them are canines, and 3.2 million are felines.
According to the ASPCA, only about 920,000 animals are put to death in shelters each year, which is less than the 2.6 million cats and dogs that were reportedly put to death in shelters in 2011.
The ASPCA stated that “an increase in the percentage of adopted animals and an increase in the number of stray animals successfully returned to their owners can be partially explained by this decline.”
In an effort to lessen the stress on the animals, the Adams County shelter announced that it will start accepting animals from other Pennsylvania shelters this week. We are going to celebrate this success right now! Happy Holidays!