Decatur Times

In the market for a new pet? If so, Huntsville Animal Services is waiving adoption fees on all animals through the end of January, though some exclusions apply.

The kennels at Huntsville Animal Services are chock-full of pets of every shape and size, in need of a good home. Director Dr. Karen Sheppard said the shelter’s experienced a jump in intakes, including two recent litters of puppies.

“The need to rehome these animals is urgent because we’re out of room,” she said. “The fact we’re so overcrowded illustrates why it’s so critical to spay and neuter pets to reduce the homeless pet population.”

Each pet adopted from Huntsville Animal Services is vaccinated, spayed/neutered, microchipped and comes with a City license and free bag of pet food. Click here to see photos, ages and descriptions of available animals.

Adopting may not be for everyone, which is why HAS offers options to help get pets out of the shelter temporarily. Sleepover and foster programs allow a host to learn more about an animal. That information, along with photos of the pet, can be key to finding a permanent home.

The decision to waive fees coincides with Change a Pet’s Life Day on Jan. 24, designed to encourage adoptions. According to the ASPCA, shelters take in an estimated 6.3 million animals each year – about 3.1 million dogs and 3.2 million cats.

While studies cite mental and physical health benefits of pet ownership for humans, Sheppard said shelter pets benefit the most.

“There are so many misconceptions about shelter pets being unhealthy or having a bad temperament, but we have plenty of loving dogs and cats that will make great companions,” she said. “Come see us, find an animal you like, spend some time with it and take it home. It’s really as simple as that.”

HAS is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 256-883-3782, visit HuntsvilleAL.gov/Animal or visit the HAS Facebook page to learn more.

Original source can be found here.