The nationwide Clear the Shelters event is in full swing until Sept. 10 at the Good Shepherd Humane Shelter east of Eureka Springs on US 62. Until that date, adoption fees will be cut in half with some pop-up special deals waving fees altogether.
Sponsored nationally by Greater Good Charities, Hill’s Pet Food, NBC Universal and other partners, the local event will also include visits by the Fido Fixers mobile spay and neuter clinic, currently sponsored by the Bissell Pet Foundation. Spay/neuter fees will be only $25, and necessary vaccinations will be free of charge.
Hill’s 2024 State of Shelter Pet Adoption Report shows that 5.8 million dogs and cats entered shelters and rescues in the U.S. alone, marking the fifth consecutive year most shelters are experiencing more intakes than outcomes. Length of stay for dogs is increasing across the board, with large dogs having nearly double the median length of stay.
Locally, according to Adoption Center and Clinic Coordinator, Crystal Ursin, there are currently 128 animals – 87 cats and 41 dogs – in the GSHS system. The shelter has three separate houses for cats, arranged by age, plus spacious runs and indoor or outdoor enclosures for dogs.
The animal intake breakdown is approximately 23 percent from Eureka Springs, 43 percent from Berryville, 19 percent from Green Forest and 15 percent from the rest of Carroll County.
Want a pet but just aren’t sure how it will work in your home? GSHS has a wonderful fostering program where you can “try before you buy” and does not include adoption fees. Animals can be taken home to be fostered for a time and returned to the shelter.
Ursin encourages doubtful individuals to give the program a try. “It does the animals a lot of good and socializes them, even if they’re returned to the shelter, and families get to see how the animal behaves in their home without committing to an adoption right away, if ever.”
For more information on programs, adoptions and Fido Fixer appointments, visit goodshepherd-hs.org/, go to Good Shepherd Humane Society on Facebook, or phone (479) 253-9188. The shelter is open daily from 12 – 5 p.m.