Shelters across the state will be waiving fees as part of the California Adopt-a-Pet Day on Saturday, June 7.
After the California Animal Welfare Associate or CalAnimals and ASPCA partnered to support shelter animals in 2024, this is the second year the California Adopt-a-Pet Day is celebrated at more than 150 shelters across the state.
Watch NBC Bay Area News free wherever you are
WATCH HEREAs the first annual California Adopt-a-Pet Day saw a lot of success with over 2,000 animals adopted, organizers are hoping to find permanent homes for 5,000 animals, including dogs, cats, bunnies and even horses.
Jesse Oldham, Senior Director for the ASPCA Los Angeles Initiative, said in the inaugural year, some shelters ended up giving out adoption vouchers for later because they ran out of animals.
“We know nationally and also in Los Angeles, the trend is that animals are sitting in shelters longer," Oldham said, adding more than 150 animal shelters over 200 locations will participate this year. “When you adopt from a local shelter, it not only helps that animal you’re giving a home to, but it also helps the shelter be able to help another animal in need.”
Nearly 6 million dogs and cats entered shelters and rescue organizations across the country in 2024.
Local
As of now, only three out of 10 households are choosing to adopt their pets from shelters or rescue groups, according to surveys. Raising that shelter adoption rate just by a few percentage points will lead to thousands of animals finding forever homes, Oldham said.
“Slow timeline for these animals to get adopted, it’s causing the shelters to be overcapacity,” she said. “The goal is to get these animals out as fast as possible.”
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news with the Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
SIGN UP People looking for a pet can find participating Bay Area shelters here or use #caadoptapetday on social media to see the latest updates.
Here are tips for a successful California Adopt-a-Pet Day experience.
- Think about your lifestyle, the type of animal that may be suitable for your life before going to the shelter.
- Have a conversation with shelter staff about who they have available and who would be the greatest fit.
- Arrive early if you have a specific animal in mind
“The magic of adoption is keeping an open mind to be matched with a pet who you might not even have considered but is an amazing match, so get excited,” Oldham said.
Find local participating shelters here or use #caadoptapetday on social media to see the latest updates.
