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With nearly 600 animals still in need of homes after the May 22nd tornado tore through Joplin, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or ASPCA and Joplin Humane Society are hosting a weekend event to find homes for those animals that still need them. KSMU’s Matthew Barnes reports.
Sponsored by Petsmart Charities and the ASPCA, the Adopt-a-thon is being held in hopes that some of the animals whose owners have not contacted the shelter will be able to recover their pets. The other goal is to help homeless animals to find an owner so they don’t have to stay in temporary shelter for much longer. Karen Aquino is Executive Director of the Joplin Humane Society.
“We have done everything we can think of to let people know if they are missing a pet that it could be here, we have place signs throughout the whole region two hundred and fifty yard signs, posters. We have had public service announcements on the radio and on television,” Says Aquino.
To encourage people to take home animals during the event, the Humane Society will be waiving the usual fee as well as give the animals a micro-chip, an ID tag, vaccinations and access to spay/neutering services for free in hopes to make it easier for people who want to rescue an animal.
“It is now going to be a month at the Adopt-a-thon and it's about this time when animals that are caged start getting distressed being caged for so long they are used to sitting on people's laps or lying on the sofa and it is time to start getting them into permanent homes,” Says Aquino.
The event will have a number of family friendly activities such as tours of the ASPCA Mobile Animal Crime Scene Investigation Unit and the Missouri Emergency Response Service team will conduct animal rescue demonstrations.
Counselors will be on site to give advice to anyone wanting to choose a pet. The ASPCA’s personality assessment experts will also be there to help prospective owners find the animals that best suit them so prospective pet owners can choose animals that aren't aggressive or overly traumatized from the tornado displacement.
The adopt-a-thon will be held June 25 and 26 at the emergency animal shelter located next the Joplin Humane Society.
For KSMU News, I’m Matthew Barnes.