Bring Home A Free Dog Or Cat Tomorrow

Walmart shoppers will have the chance to meet adoptable dogs and cats tomorrow at seven store locations — and bring them home for free.

The nationwide Bring Happy Home pet adoption event takes place from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. local time on Saturday, May 17 at Walmart stores in Houston, Texas; Los Angeles, California; Miami, Florida; North Bergen, New Jersey; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Phoenix, Arizona; and Salt Lake City, Utah.

Over 150 cats and dogs from Best Friends Animal Society and partner shelters will have pet adoption fees covered by Walmart and Blue Buffalo, according to Julie Castle, CEO of Best Friends Animal Society, an animal welfare nonprofit working to end the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters.

“Walmart is really into community values, and pets are part of the family,” she said. “Being able to engage their employee base in something that is so fun and positive and brings so much joy to their customers I think is just a really big win for all of us.”

Every available dog or cat will have been fully vetted for any health issues and be spayed or neutered, current on vaccinations and ready to go home with a goodie bag filled with toys and treats, she noted.

The Resilience Of Shelter Pets

She’s inspired by the resilience of the dogs and cats available for adoption. For instance, a Belgian Malinois mix named Nicky landed in a Los Angeles shelter with a broken jaw. The team at Best Friends LA got him the veterinary care he needed, and now he’s ready for adoption.

“We took Nicky in, we gave him love, we gave him medical attention, and today he’s full of life and energy and is a spunky little dog who enjoys other dogs and runs around in playgroups,” Castle said. “He’s a really sweet, very beautiful dog. Hopefully he’s going to find a home this weekend.”

There are cool cats available for adoption, too. In a rural area outside of Houston, an animal control officer was surprised when a calico cat named Millie “came running out of nowhere to greet him,” according to Castle.

“The animal control officer could see that Millie’s eye was having problems and called us,” she said. “She had an eye ulcer, which is sometimes not so reasonable for a small rural shelter to deal with. We treated her eye ulcer and she’s probably always going to have a little bit of cloudy vision, but she’s a great kitty.”

The Bring Happy Home locations for the May 17 pet adoption event are at the following Walmart stores:

• Houston: 8927 Fry Road, Cypress
• Los Angeles: 14501 Lakewood Blvd., Paramount
• Miami: 15601 SW 127th Ave.
• Newark, N.J.: 2100 88th St., North Bergen
• Philadelphia: 9745 Roosevelt Blvd. Ste. A
• Phoenix: 1175 S Arizona Ave., Chandler
• Salt Lake City: 7671 South 3800 West, West Jordan

Free Adoptions Throughout May At Best Friends Shelters

If you miss tomorrow’s Bring Happy Home event, you can still find pet adoption fees waived at Best Friends locations across the U.S. throughout May in honor of National Pet Month. Adoption fees will be covered by Blue Buffalo and Walmart.

Castle said over 90% of U.S. animal shelters are within 20 miles of a Walmart store, so she hopes the Bring Happy Home promotion helps spread awareness that terrific dogs and cats are available at shelters across the country. She’s constantly impressed by what many of them have overcome.

“One of the coolest parts of my job is to see all of these dogs and cats. They want to live — they’re survivors,” she said. “It’s unbelievable the amount of trauma and pain that these animals can go through and the resiliency to bounce back and forgive and forget and find that true love again in their lives and be part of a loving family. It’s really, really special, and it’s something that we as humans, I think, could really learn from.”

An estimated 7 million Americans will bring home a pet in the next year, Castle said, and she hopes many will choose to adopt animals from shelters instead of buying them from a breeder or pet store.

“Of those 7 million, if just 6 percent more decided to adopt rather than buy, then the problem would be solved,” she said. “Consider adopting a pet because you’re saving a life and you’re not just doing that, but you’re helping a shelter whose staff does not want to kill animals for a living. It’s a profound impact and a domino effect. We are nearing the tipping point of ending killing in America’s shelters for good.”