The City of Mobile Animal Services is marking October with a promotion aimed at emptying its kennels: throughout the month, anyone can take home a shelter dog for an adoption fee of just $31.
Officials with the municipal animal services operation hope the discounted rate will encourage prospective pet owners to adopt while helping clear space at the shelter, which routinely takes in stray and surrendered animals from across the city.
The push comes as shelters nationwide continue to grapple with persistent overcrowding. According to the ASPCA, roughly 6.3 million companion animals enter U.S. shelters each year. About 4.1 million of those animals are adopted annually and another 810,000 are reunited with their owners, though hundreds of thousands of dogs and cats are still euthanized each year for lack of a home.
Why adoption promotions matter
Fee-reduction events like Howl-O-WeEN-style campaigns have become a common tool for municipal shelters trying to move animals out of kennels and into homes quickly. Lower upfront costs can be the deciding factor for families who are otherwise ready to adopt but hesitant about initial expenses.
Residents interested in adopting from Mobile Animal Services can visit the city’s shelter during regular operating hours to meet available dogs. Standard adoption procedures still apply.