Volunteers Needed For Three-Day Adoption Event

The Hart County Humane Society will be hosting a multi-agency, three-day adoption event this weekend and they are seeking volunteers as well as potential adoptors.

The PetSmart Charities National Adoption Weekend is Friday through Sunday, May 3 – 5 and the Hart County Humane Society, along with a number of other rescue organizations from the Northeast Georgia and Anderson area will have dogs and puppies, cats and kittens available for adoption.

Humane Society president Donna Madkiff said they are asking now for anyone who would like to volunteer this weekend as a dog or cat advocate to contact her.

“The foster advocate will stay with a dog that is up for adoption for the day,” Madkiff said. “They will walk the dog and talk to people about the dog and what they might be looking for in a pet.”

Volunteers don’t have to commit to the entire weekend so a number of volunteers are needed. If you can’t be an advocate for a pet needing a new home, Madkiff said they need help this week.

“We and the Northeast Georgia Animal Shelter in Lavonia need help getting dogs bathed and groomed this week, help taking them to the vet as well as loading and unloading pets and getting everything set up at the Petsmart,” she said.

Hart County Humane will be the host group this weekend overseeing the adoption of animals from five other participating groups, according to Madkiff.

“We will have five groups joining us this weekend at the Anderson Petsmart, including the Northeast Georgia Animal Shelter in Lavonia, the Anderson County Humane Society, Upstate Animal Rescue, and Oconee Animal Rescue. We will be under a big tent in the parking lot so there will be lots of dogs and puppies up for adoption, along with cats and kittens,” she said.

Each group will have their own representatives on hand and each group will be charging their own adoption fees.

Madkiff said spring is a great time of year to consider adopting, and she said Petsmart Charities offer lots of incentives during their adoptathon for people who choose to adopt a pet.

“They give coupons for training class, toys, anything you might need for your new pet,” she said. “They also give you a coupon for a free bag of dog or cat food and a coupon for $5 off on kitty litter. So we encourage you to come out this weekend and save a pet’s life.”

Petsmart Charities also donates $35 per animal to the rescue groups for each pet they adopt out during the three-day weekend. That money, Madkiff said, is used to pay for the care of  dogs and cats until they can be adopted into new homes.

If you would like more information on how to volunteer, you can contact the Hart County Humane Society at 706-376-1769 or the Northeast Georgia Animal Shelter at 706-356-5363.