BISSELL Pet Foundation Announces Emergency “Empty the Shelters” in Florida
Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League offers reduced fee adoptions in statewide effort to fight shelter overcrowding
West Palm Beach, Florida (February 24, 2022) — Earlier this week, Santa Rosa County Animal Services seized more than 70 dogs, many of which were in poor condition, underweight and suffering from skin infections. Santa Rosa County Animal Services officials said the dogs were being kept in unsuitable living conditions.
Animal Control was not able to remove the dogs immediately because their shelter was full, so they temporarily kept the dogs in a different location. Due to the lack of space, BISSELL Pet Foundation is hosting an emergency “Empty the Shelters” adoption event at 10 Florida shelters from February 24th – 28th, including Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League. This is a statewide effort is to relieve overcrowded shelters after their assistance with this large-scale neglect case in Santa Rosa County.
“Shelters throughout Florida are coming together to support Santa Rosa County Animal Services and the pets from this devastating case utilizing the BISSELL Pet Foundation “Empty the Shelters” event model,” said Cathy Bissell, Founder of BISSELL Pet Foundation. “Collaboration saves lives and BISSELL Pet Foundation is honored to be a part of the journey for these pets and the shelters that have taken them into their programs. Thank you to Santa Rosa County Animal Services for giving these dogs a second chance, and to Best Friends Animal Society for providing ground support for the Santa Rosa team.”
“Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League is proud to be an Emergency Placement Partner with multiple organizations including Best Friends Animal Society and BISSELL Pet Foundation,” said Rich Anderson, Executive Director/CEO of Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League. “Currently, Peggy Adams is at capacity for dogs, but it is very important to us to help Santa Rosa County Animal Services during this difficult time. We are placing this plea to our community to consider adopting a shelter pet. When you adopt, you are saving two lives – the life of that animal you adopted and the life of that animal that will occupy that newly empty kennel space.”
During this event at Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League, adoption fees are $25 or waived for cats and dogs that qualify for special adoption programs. (This adoption event excludes puppies 5 months or younger.) *A $20 rabies tag fee applies to Palm Beach County residents.
Adoptable cats and dogs are available for viewing at PeggyAdams.org and the website is updated every two hours between 11am-7pm. Peggy Adams is located at 3200 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach, FL 33409 and the Adoption Center is open daily from 11am-6pm.
The “Empty the Shelters” event began in 2016 to encourage more families to choose adoption. Since its inception, BISSELL Pet Foundation has expanded its “Empty the Shelters” reach to organizations in 45 states and Canada, partnering with more than 400 shelters. As a result, more than 83,000 pets have been adopted through “Empty the Shelters” events. This emergency adoption event aims to find adoptive homes for pets often overlooked in animal shelters.
For more information on adopting or donating to “Empty the Shelters,” please visit bissellpetfoundation.org/empty-the-shelters as well as PeggyAdams.org
About BISSELL Pet Foundation
BISSELL Pet Foundation is a charitable 501©(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to help reduce the number of animals in shelters through pet adoption, spay/neuter programs, microchipping and emergency support. Founded in 2011 by Cathy Bissell, BPF is an extension of her long-standing love for animals and commitment to their welfare. BPF has since partnered with more than 5,300 shelters and rescues across the U.S. and Canada to help pets find loving homes. The foundation is supported by generous donors and BISSELL Homecare, Inc where every purchase saves pets. To learn more, visit bissellpetfoundation.org
About Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League
Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League saves more lives than any other rescue organization in Palm Beach County. It provides critical services to more than 30,000 or tens of thousands of animals each year.
The Mission of the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League is to provide shelter to lost, homeless, and unwanted animals, to provide spay and neuter and other medical services for companion animals, and to care for, protect, and find quality homes for homeless and neglected companion animals, to advocate animal welfare, community involvement, and education to further the bond between people and animals. Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity navigator. Peggy Adams is an independent nonprofit animal rescue organization operating continuously since 1925. For more information and to donate, please visit PeggyAdams.org
Media Contact
Brittany Schlacter | BISSELL Pet Foundation | Marketing & PR Specialist | Email | 812.593.3296
Media contacts for Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League:
Cara MacVane | PR Consultant | Email | c. 561.685.2342
Lauren Ellis | Development and Marketing Manager | Email | 561.472.8845
