The organizer for My Furry Valentine is expecting to host the another super pet adoption event in February of 2013.
“My Furry Valentine filled a great need in our community,” said Carolyn Evans, event organizer. “While the shelters and rescues have adoptable animals year round and participate in various adoption events throughout the year, nothing has ever been done on such a large scale in our area.”
This past February, a total of 60 rescue shelters and eight animal advocacy groups participated in My Furry Valentine. Overall, 99 animals were adopted at the main event in West Chester and a total of 266 adoptions occurred throughout Greater Cincinnati.
In West Chester alone, approximately 1,700 visitors came out to the main event.
“We finalized our first adoption just minutes after the doors were opened. Groups were calling in reinforcements during the day to have volunteers bring additional animals when they realized they were going to run out,” Evans said. “Shelters that had doubled-up on kennel space for years went back to empty kennels that they had never experienced before.”
In addition to the adoptions, IAMS/Eukanuba made a $25,000 food donation to the Cincinnati Pet Food Pantry.
The event was so successful that Evans already has sponsors committed to hosting again.
As of right now, My Furry Valentine has a tentative date for Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013. Evans also said the event could add another event in the summer or in the early fall. The date and time frame has yet to be determined, but organizers are thinking about “Sweetest Day” in October.
Photos of My Furry Valentine taken in West Chester by Tony Jones
