Pets to take home at a bargain price | The Carrboro Citizen

By Rose Laudicina
Staff Writer

Everybody likes a good deal, especially in this economy ? and while most holiday sales are over, the Orange County Animal Shelter?s still has a couple of days left.

Although most shoppers wouldn?t think to look to the animal shelter for a discount, during the Home for the Holidays event animal lovers in search of a new four-legged best friend can adopt cats and dogs for about half the usual cost.

The normal adoption fee for cats is $95, while for dogs it?s $115. During Home for the Holidays, cats can be taken home for $50 and dogs for $60.

?The fee discount is great,? animal shelter manager Jess Allison said.

?It costs a lot to process each animal, so this is certainly a deal,? she added, explaining that when any animal comes through their doors they pay to spay or neuter it, deworm it and check it for any health concerns or diseases, treating any found.

The shelter has been hosting the holiday event since 2005, striving to get word out about the large number of pets at the shelter that would like to get the gift of a family for the holidays. But this is the first year it?s been able to offer discounts. With a recent decision by the Orange County Board of Commissioners, the shelter is now allowed to offer fee reductions on certain animals during special events and occasions throughout the year.

Allison said that while the phrasing of the promotion says ?select? animals, the majority of animals at the shelter are available for a reduced price. The only animals not included are young kittens and puppies, as they are typically easy to find homes for.

?It?s mostly adult dogs and cats,? Allison said. ?We wait till they?ve been here for a week or two? before adding them to the adoption list.

Since the program started on Dec. 1, the shelter has seen 112 total adoptions for the month of December. Allison said she believes the reduced fees have led to an increase in adoptions.
?It is a deal for folks, and they get excited about it, and we do too,? she said.

The Home for the Holidays event has also brought in some generous donations to the shelter. A number of people have come into the shelter to sponsor an animal for the event, pledging to pay the adoption fees so others can take a pet home for free.

Recently a donor came into the shelter and offered to pay the adoption fee for anybody 65 and older who wants to adopt a cat. The donor has agreed to pay for up to six cats during the holiday event.

?Our goal is to really promote adopting animals,? Allison said. ?The more animals we can get into a family and a home and out our doors, the less euthanasia happens.?
The Home for the Holidays event runs through Jan. 6.

Source: http://www.carrborocitizen.com/main/2012/01/05/pets-to-take-home-at-a-bargain-price/

joseph kennedy iii leann rimes dakota fanning casey anthony video diary lamarcus aldridge joe johnson jeremy renner