No-cost Adoption Special Starts Saturday
As the nation prepares to celebrate Independence Day, the Wake County Animal Center is urging our community to support the spirit of compassion, freedom and unity by adopting a pet during a current surge in homeless animals.
The Wake County Animal Center is approaching maximum capacity again. There are 84 dogs on the adoption floor with an additional 27 in foster care. Out of the 84 dogs, 45 have been living in shelter kennels awaiting their forever homes for more than three weeks. The center will be waiving all adoption fees for any dogs who have lived in shelter for 21 days or longer. This special promotion will run from July 1 until July 10.
A similar one-week campaign at the beginning of June also made adoptions of “long timers” completely free, and it resulted in 29 dogs going to permanent homes! The team at the Animal Center is hoping the community responds again in the same way.
“The Fourth of July is a time when we celebrate liberty and the United States officially becoming its own nation, so this is the perfect time to give a dog its independence from our shelter!” said Wake County Commissioner Vickie Adamson. “By opening our hearts and homes to a dog in need, we can provide them with a second chance at life and offer them the love and care they deserve.”
You can view these animals online at pets.wake.gov, where each long timer will have an orange "featured" button displayed under their photos. Or you can come see the pets in person at the shelter, it will be open every single day from noon to 6 p.m. during this promotion, with exception of being closed on Tuesday, July 4.
“You not only get a free loving animal to join your family, but every pet who goes home leaves with all their vaccinations, they’re spayed or neutered, and they’re microchipped, which is very important this time of year,” said Dr. Jennifer Federico, director of the Animal Center. “July 4th is always a busy time for our Animal Control Officers because fireworks can scare pets who then get loose. Microchipping helps us get pets back to their owners safely. So, your new adopted friend comes home fully equipped for those holiday emergencies.”
The Wake County Animal shelter, located off New Bern Avenue in Raleigh, provides 75 kennels specifically designed for dogs. These double-sided enclosures are preferred as they offer enough space for the animals to move around. However, due to the recent influx of pets, staff members have had to divide these kennels into two smaller compartments. Consequently, the adoption floor has become crowded and the limited spacing puts additional stress on the physical and emotional well-being of the dogs.
Animals that are brought in as strays for protective custody or for bite quarantines must legally be held by the shelter. When pet owners make an appointment to give up their pet, shelter staff are fully transparent and explain that if the center runs out of space, it is animals on the adoption floor who will be euthanized first. We strongly encourage anyone who needs to surrender an animal to work to rehome their pet by using these tips.
Ready to adopt? Check out our adoption gallery or come by and see the sweet faces for yourself! The shelter is open for adoptions daily from noon to 6 p.m. seven days a week. The Wake County Animal Center is located at 820 Beacon Lake Drive, near the intersection of I-440 and New Bern Ave. in Raleigh.
