Posted on: January 29, 2019[ARCHIVED] Fourteen Local Animal Shelters Come Together to Raise Awareness for Homeless Animals
For one week, shelters across the region will take to social media to educate our communities about animal homelessness.
NORFOLK, VA – Fourteen local animal shelters are joining forces February 11th-17th to recognize Homeless Animal Awareness Week (HAAW). For one week, shelters across the region will take to social media to educate our communities about animal homelessness.
According to the ASPCA, 40% of pet owners first learned about their pet through word of mouth. During Homeless Animal Awareness Week, animal shelters are reminding our friends and animal lovers to spread the word — local shelters are full of wonderful pets waiting for their new family to walk through the door. Community members can join the Facebook event and further their participation by updating their social media with HAAW graphics and using the hashtags #HR4PETS, #HAAW, and #homeslessanimalawarenessweek.
According to a study by the American Pet Products Association, the number of pet-owning homes increased by nearly 5 million in 2017-2018, but only a fraction of those homes found their new pet at an animal shelter or humane society. This study also identified “word of mouth” as the most common source people relied on for learning about an animal’s availability. With more than 32,000 animals sheltered in Hampton Roads in 2017, it has never been more important to spread the message of adopting from your local animal shelter. Ending animal homelessness can happen if we think “shelters first.”
The participating shelters are Chesapeake Animal Services, the Chesapeake Humane Society, Gloucester-Mathews Humane Society, Heritage Humane Society, Isle of Wight County Animal Shelter, Norfolk Animal Care and Adoption Center, Norfolk SPCA, PETA, Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter, Peninsula SPCA, Portsmouth Humane Society, Suffolk Animal Care, Virginia Beach Animal Care and Adoption Center and the Virginia Beach SPCA. Some of these shelters will be offering adoption discounts or holding special events, such as “Fashion Has Gone to Dogs,” hosted by the City of Norfolk at MacArthur Center on February 10. Individuals are encouraged to follow the Homeless Animal Awareness Week Facebook event for information about adoption discounts and events.