Archive: Around Town

SPCA of Tompkins County is hoping to find homes for 10,000 pets in two days.  Well, maybe not all in Tompkins County.  The local SPCA is one of 200 groups across the U.S. participating in the 5th annual Maddie’s ® Pet Adoption Days on May 31 and June 1.

"This is America’s biggest free pet adoption event and being invited to be a part of it is wonderful!," says SPCA of Tompkins County Executive Director Jim Bouderau.  “We are thrilled to be one of nearly 200 groups across the U.S. participating in Maddie’s ® Pet Adoption Days.  We hope to find homes for as many as 100 animals during this special weekend. We will be open extended hours and will help adopters complete applications and visit with adoptable pets leading up to the event so that they are ready to complete their adoptions on May 31 and June 1. The goal is to open up rooms at the shelter before kitten and puppy season is in full swing – let’s clear it out!”

14 communities in 9 states will participate. More than 200 shelters and rescue groups within these counties will offer free adoptions to qualified homes.

The adoptions are free to adopters during this special event, and Maddie’s Fund® will award stipends to the shelter for each pet adopted during the weekend, in amounts ranging from $500 to $2,000. Participating shelters and rescue groups will be awarded stipends based on the following criteria:

• $500 per adoption of healthy dogs and cats.
• $1,000 per adoption of medically treatable or senior dogs and cats.
• $2,000 per adoption of medically treatable and senior dogs and cats.

“So, if you’ve ever thought about adopting a senior pet who needs a little extra TLC, there has quite literally never been a better time!” Bouderau says. “And, we expect so many people looking for shelter pets that we worked with two rescue groups to bring in more dogs for the event. These dogs will be arriving on May 14th and May 15th.”

The event is financed and organized by Maddie’s Fund ®, a family foundation inspired by a Miniature Schnauzer named Maddie, a little dog who made a big impact on her family, the Dave Duffield (of People Soft and a Cornell University alumnus) family. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Duffield Family Foundation, which was renamed to Maddie’s Fund® in 1999. Maddie’s® Pet Adoption Days started in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2010, where Maddie’s Fund® is headquartered.

To date, Maddie’s Fund® has awarded $11.4 million to the participating groups that have adopted a total of 15,154 dogs and cats during the past four events. The money given by Maddie’s Fund® has enabled shelters and rescue groups to treat and rehabilitate senior pets and those with minor medical conditions – animals who would have probably been euthanized otherwise in shelters who, unlike the SPCA of Tompkins County, are not already No Kill. Maddie’s® Pet Adoption Days is a collaborative effort of countless people who want to save the lives of shelter animals – a testament to what can be done when people come together and rally for a common cause.

Maddie’s Fund is helping to create a no-kill nation where all healthy and treatable shelter dogs and cats are guaranteed a loving home.

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