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Colorado Animal Rescue offering reduced adoption fees for ‘Empty the Shelters’ event

Ursa is a 3-year-old female kitty currently available for adoption at Colorado Animal Rescue and is waiting for her forever home.
Chelsea Self/Post Independent

Colorado Animal Rescue is in the midst of a national event to encourage pet adoptions for the holidays.

The nonprofit shelter in Glenwood Springs is one of more than 200 nationally and in Canada to take part in BISSELL Pet Foundation’s “Empty the Shelters — Holiday Hope.” The event allows shelters to drop adoption fees to or below $25, making bringing a pet home more affordable. Colorado Animal Rescue is participating through Sunday, with adoption fees at $25.

While affordability hasn’t been the primary barrier to people bringing home pets at the local shelter, Colorado Animal Rescue Operations Manager and Volunteer Coordinator Lisa Girardot said the conversation around adoptions is that promotions encourage people who may be on the fence.



“Just being able to talk about adoptions in general and talk about this reduction in fees, especially around the holidays when people have other things that they’re spending their money on, I think it’s a great opportunity,” Girardot said.

Currently, the shelter has 13 dogs and 13 cats up for adoption. The promotion cuts down adoption costs by $135 and $75, respectively.



Girardot said the foundation reimburses shelters for the difference, allowing the shelters to reduce fees and help pets in shelters find homes. While Colorado Animal Rescue isn’t in the dire situation other shelters are, it capitalized on the opportunity to make adoption more accessible, as it has every year since the event’s inception in 2016.

The foundation said the event has helped more than 67,000 pets find homes.

“Shelters are overcrowded and in desperate need of support due to slowed adoption rates and increased length of stay for pets,” BISSELL Pet Foundation Founder Cathy Bissell said.

Colorado Animal Rescue is not seeing the overcrowding issues and has actually brought in more cats for prospective adoptions this month, Girardot said.

Tampa is a 5-year-old male kitty currently available for adoption and waiting for his forever home at Colorado Animal Rescue.
Chelsea Self/Post Independent

She added that the shelter has already completed 20 adoptions in December, right on track to hit — and potentially exceed — their monthly average of around 50, especially with the small colloquial “Christmas pet” spike the shelter normally sees.

Not only does getting a new pet for the holidays create smiles, but it’s also logistically convenient, Girardot said.

“It’s a great time for people to adopt,” Girardot said. “Kids are on break. A lot of times families are together anyway. It’s a great time to bring a new pet in so everyone in the family can help their new pet acclimate to their new home.”

The shelter’s adoption process involves completing an adoption survey to establish compatibility and ensure an animal will match the applicant’s home and lifestyle. Pet visitations are available by appointment only. The adoption fees include services like microchipping, vaccination and spay or neuter. More information is available at ColoradoAnimalRescue.org.

Reporter Rich Allen can be reached at 970-384-9131 or rallen@postindependent.com.


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