About 20 animals at the Muncie Animal Shelter Saturday found a home thanks to Hill's Pet Nutrition's national "Change a Pet's Life Day" Campaign.
The Muncie shelter was one of 300 shelters across the nation that participated in free adoption day, which waived the adoption fees for the first 10 animals. The special day also gave new pet owners a starter kit, which included a free bag of Hill's Science pet food and a book of tips on taking care of their new animal.
Muncie Southside High School junior Dakota Moore volunteers at the shelter and was surprised at the amount of people ready to adopt.
"We had people waiting at the door before we even opened," he said.
Normally, the shelter would charge $65.00 for male dogs and cats and $75.00 for females. Those who adopt an animal that is not neutered will receive a $30 voucher to apply to the cost of the procedure.
If the animal is not spayed, the new owner will receive a $40 voucher. All animals are micro-chipped before they leave the shelter.
Because of the overwhelming interest in the event, the shelter's superintendent, Ron White, decided to extend the deal to the first 20 pets.
"We suspended the first 10 because when all the people rushed in here, there was no way for it to be fair," he said.
Though White does not think that a having a free adoption day once a year will do much to help with overcrowding in shelters, he hopes that it can make a difference in Muncie.
"I am probably going to implement it more often," he said "probably every two or three months."
Overall, the shelter staff is pleased with the results of the day and even gained some stories from it.
"One couple was here looking for a cat for their mother, they wanted one that reminded them of their first cat," said employee Kendal Rodgers. "They ended up finding the perfect one."
The day was also popular among children who came in with their families to find a new companion. White suspected that about half of the people that came in had children with them. Moore said that most of the children wanted to take all of the animals home.
Even though not everyone who came in found the right animal, some said that they would be back, regardless of the fees that would apply after Saturday. Rodgers believes that it was a good decision, saying that a pet is a lifetime commitment and owners must be sure they pick the right animal.
At the end of the day, the staff expressed that they accomplished their goal and found new homes for many animals. Though Rodgers admits that it was hard to say goodbye, especially to the ones that had been there for months, she was happy that the animals were in safe, loving homes.
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