With new holiday hours, adoptions from local animal shelter are possible seven days a week

Monday was #NationalCatDay and #NationalDogDay was in August, but don’t let those dates or a busy holiday schedule stop you from celebrating year-round.

Manatee County Animal Services wants to make adding another pet to your litter easier by extending their shelter hours this “howl-iday” season.

Starting Thursday, the MCAS Palmetto shelter, 305 25th St. W., will be open seven days a week in November and December to help animals in their care find loving “fur-ever” homes.

MCAS officials hope that adding hours on Sunday will make visiting the shelter easier amid the hustle and bustle around the holidays.

“Our goal is to have all of our adoptable animals in a home for the holidays. As we get close to the holidays, we will even encourage short-term fosters, to give our pets a few weeks in a loving home as we start the New Year. We will work tirelessly to get all animals in a home,” Animal Services Division Chief Sarah Brown said in a news release.

MCAS shelters in October took in an average of 15 animals per day due to kitten season, confiscation cases and owner surrenders, according to officials. That’s an increase from the 2017 average of 10 animals per day.

As the only open-admission shelter in the county, MCAS dos not turn away any animals brought to them.

Palmetto shelter hours starting Nov. 1:

• Monday-Tuesday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Wednesday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Thursday-Saturday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sunday: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The Palmetto shelter has been open on Sundays in the past, but not for several years, MCAS outreach and event specialist Hans Wohlgefart said.

The Downtown Cat Adoption Center, 1002 Manatee Ave. W., is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Dog adoption fees are $80 and cat adoption fees are $40. All cat and dog adoptions include spay or neuter, microchip and rabies certificate. Manatee County residents are required to license their new pet for an additional $15.

This story was originally published October 30, 2018 at 10:47 AM.