GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — BISSELL Pet Foundation’s “Empty the Shelters – Holiday Hope” event set a record as the largest ever funded adoption event in the country.
The event took place December 6-20, 2021 across the US and Canada. 245 shelters participated in the event, which placed 15,297 homeless pets with their new families. Forty-five of those shelters were in Michigan.
Of the over 15,000 pets adopted, 8,352 were cats and 6,945 were dogs.
“Holiday Hope 2021 is officially the largest funded adoption event in the country, and it was the best way to end a challenging year of saving lives," said Cathy Bissell, founder of BISSELL Pet Foundation. “It is so heartwarming to think about the thousands of pets who made it into loving homes just in time for the holidays."
Heaven Can Wait Animal Haven located in Ferrysburg, Mich. was one of the shelters that participated in the event. Their longest feline resident, Oliver Twist found his forever home after 467 days. It took a special person to adopt Oliver Twist, as he has IBS which requires a special wet food to be fed four times per day.
BISSELL Pet Foundation reminds prospective pet parents that although pets can feel like a gift in terms of the joy they bring to life, that adopting a pet during the holidays is a long-term commitment.
BISSELL Pet Foundation was founded in 2011 by Cathy Bissell. The Empty the Shelter events began in 2016 and have helped more than 83,055 pets find homes. During each nationwide event, BISSELL Pet Foundation sponsors reduced adoption fees for $25 or less.
Visit www.BISSELLPetFoundation.org/Empty-The-Shelters [bissellpetfoundation.org] for more information.
