Saturday is National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day

Published 4:45 pm Friday, April 29, 2016

Animal shelters across the country will be open for adoptions Saturday, April 30, for National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day.

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), 7.6 million companion animals enter one of the over 13,000 animal shelters across the country each year. Approximately 2.7 million are adopted and 2.7 million are euthanized each year, according to the ASPCA.

The main reasons animals enter a shelter are because they were found as strays found on the street and brought in by law enforcement or citizens, they were rescued from animal cruelty situations, or they were surrendered by their owners. 

National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day is an unofficial holiday created to raise awareness about the numbers of animals awaiting adoption, according to National Day Calendar. Halo, a pet food company, is petitioning the White House to recognize it as an official holiday.