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BARC "Transforms" Pet Adoption Event, In Response to Huge Intake Week

(01/06/2011 AL報導)

BARC "Transforms" Pet Adoption Event, In Response to Huge Intake Week

BARC, the City of Houston's animal shelter, is fighting a capacity crisis. BARC has received an abnormally high number of kittens and puppies due to an early springtime breeding season that hasn’t let up yet. High intakes have exhausted BARC's capability to provide additional space. "Over the past two days we have taken in over 200 animals and we are beyond capacity," said David Atencio, General Manager for BARC. Litter upon litter of puppies and kittens are flooding the BARC facility while many area rescue groups are already full.

BARC has lowered its adoption fee to $10 for cats and $20 for dogs over the weekend, starting Friday, July 15th. All animals offered for adoption are spayed/neutered and have received age-appropriate vaccinations. BARC has been circulating the attached promotional flyer to drum up interest in a new arrangement: bringing BARC to Houston via a "Tent Sale" in the parking lot of area Kroger grocery stores. For this event, BARC has partnered with the Kroger store in the Heights area at N. Shepherd and 11th Street. Volunteers from the Lanier Law Firm will be on hand to “Transform” the area into a mega adoption event.

Kroger will have pet supplies available for purchase in the tent during the event, and will also provide information about low-cost pet meds now available through the Kroger Pharmacy. “Summer is a much easier time to bring a new pet into the home, as families tend to have more time to devote to introducing a new pet to their surroundings and helping it adjust,” said Carlene Lormand, Outreach Manager for BARC.

BARC is also seeking new participants for its foster care program, which is designed to remove animals from the shelter environment until the dogs or cats can be fully vaccinated and made available for adoption. Nearly any shelter animal can benefit from foster care, and fostering frees up space at the BARC facility. With additional foster parents, many more shelter animals can be adopted, and ultimately find their forever homes. In fact, fostering can become a well-loved hobby. The primary role of a foster care volunteer is to provide a safe, healthy environment for the pet and to socialize them in order to increase their adoptability. Foster parents learn about their pet, promote the animal to their friends, families and social networks and become the voice and advocate for that animal's adoption.

BARC knows Houston can respond during this seasonal influx. Remember, year-round BARC offers a free "Seniors for Seniors" placement program for pets over 3 years old for Seniors 55 and older.

And, as always, the BARC facility will host Friends of BARC's Wags to Whiskers adoption event at 3200 Carr on Saturday 12-6 pm with free hot dogs and hamburgers. The tireless Friends of BARC volunteers welcome all potential adopters, fosters and volunteers with their energy and clear dedication to BARC animals.

The simplest, but most powerful thing you can do to help the BARC Houston shelter, and pets throughout our community, is to talk to your friends, neighbors, and family about caring for pets responsibly. To donate to BARC online via the Houston BARC Foundation, click here.

We encourage everyone to visit us online at www.houstonbarc.com.

( 回首頁 Houston eWIND )

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