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SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake County Animal Services is offering a reduced adoption fee of $5 for many animals this weekend through a partnership with Bounty paper towels and Best Friends Animal Society.
Large dogs, cats, kittens and small mammals will be available for the reduced fee on Friday and Saturday. All of the adoptable pets are already fixed, vaccinated, microchipped and "ready to go home immediately," officials with the shelter said in a news release.
Small dogs and puppies aren't included in the discount.
"Salt Lake County Animal Services has seen an increase in dogs, young and old, coming into the shelter, that need a little bit of training and a loving home to help them be the best pet they can be," said Talia Butler, division director of Salt Lake County Animal Services.
"Overall, there have been more stray pets coming into the shelter, and fewer owners coming in to reclaim their pets and take them home," she said.
Animal advocates say those who adopt shelter animals "can save two lives: the pet who goes home and the one who now has space to come to Salt Lake County Animal Services, which is the largest, no-kill, municipal shelter in Utah."
Julie Castle, CEO of Best Friends Animal Society, noted in the release that May is one of the highest intake months for shelters nationwide.
"The sad truth is that shelters get overcrowded when pets aren't adopted quickly enough and this can put lives at risk," Castle said. "That's why we're grateful that Bounty wanted to quickly come to the rescue."
Late last month before kitten season got in full swing, animal shelters across the state were already at or near capacity, with stray or surrendered cats and dogs arriving faster than shelters can find them new homes, advocates said.
Animal advocates point to the COVID-19 pandemic as a significant factor in the influx of shelter animals.
Nearly one in five households welcomed a dog or cat during the first year of the pandemic, according to a 2021 report by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. At the same time that millions of Americans were seeking the company of a new pet, veterinarians, trainers and doggy day cares were forced to scale back their operations, resulting in many pets who lack traditional training and may be more prone to acting out when stressed or confused.
The Salt Lake County Animal Services shelter in Salt Lake City is open Tuesday through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pets are available to view online at AdoptUtahPets.org.
