PLANT CITY, Fla. – Families looking for a new furry friend were already lined up at the doors of the Grimes Family Agricultural Center in Plant City on Sunday morning, as it opened for the final day of a massive Mega Adoption Event.
Some were on more of a mission than others, like Fred Ball, who brought his little pal Rosco along so he could help pick out a potential playmate.
“Two of our three dogs are stray dogs that have been adopted, and we lost the third dog, which was Rosco’s girlfriend,” Ball told FOX 13. “So, our boy is looking for someone who will help him play and lose weight and make a forever home with us.”
There were certainly plenty of candidates because dogs from seven different overcrowded shelters across Florida were under one roof.
Hundreds of dogs found new homes after a Mega-Adoption event in Plant City.
“This is our busiest time of year,” explained Kyra Lynch, Director of Marion County Animal Services. “So an event like this is a game-changer for us. This gives us just a little bit of breathing room to be able to help the community in the best way that we can without overburdening the other dogs.”
Lynch said at her shelter alone, their high numbers are often the result of too many owner-surrender situations.
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What they’re saying:
“I think right now has a lot to do with the economy. We’re seeing a lot of people that are questioning if they’re going to have work in a few days, a few weeks. Everything’s going up in price. Everything’s just expensive these days. Housing is expensive as well. Pet-friendly housing accommodations are not as prevalent, “Lynch added. “So, I think there’s just a lot of uncertainty going on in the world right now. People are trying to be responsible. When they’re thinking about surrendering to a shelter, they think that that’s the best thing for the pet at that time. It’s just unfortunate. Shelter should always be a last resort. “
Hundreds of dogs found new homes after a Mega-Adoption event in Plant City.
Because of that, many of the dogs at this mega-adoption event were older, and had been at these shelters for well over six months.
That’s where they’ll return if they weren’t adopted this weekend, or there’s a chance they could head to a new county, since all of these entities work together on a regular basis.
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The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13’s Regina Gonzalez.
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