Thank you, Jacksonville

Witnessing the joy that adopted pets bring to their families never gets old.

I’ve attended hundreds of pet adoption events over the years. I’ve witnessed countless families meet the pet that was truly meant for them. I’ve seen a lot of happy tails wagging on their way out the door; many photos of cats getting cozy in their new homes.

But I saw something really special this past weekend in Jacksonville, Florida, while working at a large PetSmart Charities adoption event: at the end of the event, almost all the shelters were empty.

In just three days, 946 pets found their forever homes. I’ve never attended an event where so many pets found their forever homes. I’m honored to have been a part of it!

Real, dedicated teamwork
More than 10,000 Jacksonville residents came out to the event, which was staffed by 14 animal welfare organizations from 6 Florida counties.

The staff, volunteers and the participating agencies were incredible. They really kept the energy flowing throughout all 3 days—while adopting out an average of one pet every minute and a half. Some volunteers even drove for hours the morning before the event to pick up adoptable pets from outlying areas, ensuring they got the chance to find a forever home.

Strides towards ending pet homelessness
My colleague Rich DuCharme, Founder/Director of First Coast No More Homeless Pets, summarized it best:

“Petsmart Charities and Petsmart have revolutionized animal welfare. Working together we will truly reach a time when there are no more homeless pets.”

We just made some major strides towards our goal of ending pet homelessness. Thanks, Jacksonville.

Want to see a community pet adoption event in action? Find one in your area.