849 dogs, cats find homes on first day of Mega Adoption Event
Karen OkamotoHundreds of dogs and cats were taken home Saturday after their new owners found them at the Brandywine Valley SPCA's Mega Adoption Event in Harrington.
In all, 849 pets were adopted, according to Linda Torelli, Brandywine Valley SPCA's marketing director. A breakdown of the number of cats and dogs specifically was unavailable.
Update:1,181 cats and dogs find homes during Brandywine Valley SPCA's Mega Adoption Event
The two-day event continues Sunday from 10 to 6 p.m. at the Delaware State Fairgrounds with animals from 10 shelters and rescues.
A few hundred animals still need homes, Torelli said. An exact figure was unavailable.
"We have a lot of cats of all ages, from 8 weeks old to seniors," she said.
Most of the remaining dogs are large adults, ranging in age from 1 year to seniors, she said.
"We’ll have a small number of puppies and small dogs in the morning (Sunday), and they’ll likely go very quickly," she said.
Event organizers hope to adopt out a total of about 1,200 pets – 800 dogs and 400 cats. The Brandywine Valley SPCA bills the event as the “largest adoption event in the country.”
Most of the animals are from Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Torelli said.
All the animals are neutered or spayed, microchipped and up to date on vaccinations. The $25 adoption fee includes a free post-adoption checkup at one of Brandywine Valley SPCA’s Animal Health Centers within one week of adoption.
On Saturday, some visitors reported waiting three hours to get in to see the dogs. Organizers did not count the number of visitors, but Torelli estimated it was in the thousands. She confirmed some did wait a few hours.
Other visitors took advantage of a new offering: the $50 Mega Fast Pass, which allowed them to get in an hour early or bypass the main admission line. The passes for Sunday are sold out, though.
But for those interested in a cat, they may not have to wait anyway. On Saturday, there was no line to get into the building housing the cats, Torelli said.
UPDATE: As of about 12:30 p.m. Sunday, the total number of adoptions hit 1,010 – with a longtime shelter dog named Heathcliff finally getting a home of his own.
If you go
What: Second day of Brandywine Valley SPCA's Mega Adoption Event
When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday
Where: Delaware State Fairgrounds, 18500 S. Du Pont Highway, Harrington
Cost: Admission is free. Adoptions cost $25. Mega Fast Passes ($50) for Sunday are sold out.
Recommendations: Event organizers recommend adopters bring all family members and any dog(s) already in their home so they can meet the potential adoptees. Visitors should have a carrier if adopting a cat or a collar and leash if adopting a dog. Those items will be available for sale at the event, though.
More information: bvspca.org/megaadopt/
Elsewhere: Faithful Friends Animal Society, one of the Mega Adoption partners, is offering dog and cat adoptions also for a special $25 fee at its shelter, 12 Germay Drive near Wilmington, on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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