Shelter pets find new homes, loving friends at Manatee County’s Adopt-a-Palooza event
Manatee County’s animal adoption extravaganza created at least 30 new bonds and memories that will last a lifetime.
Adopt-A-Palooza returned to the Bradenton Area Convention Center on Saturday, introducing potential owners and pets to new homes. Manatee County Animal Service (MCAS) organizers say 15 dogs and 15 cats were adopted out at the expo.
“We have hundreds of animals here today, both dogs and cats from not just Manatee County Animal Services but also Bishop and the Humane Society, along with other rescues we work with throughout the year,” said Hans Wohlgefahrt, outreach and events specialist for MCAS.
For the fifth year in a row, Manatee County hosted the annual event with the help of more than 50 outside organizations. All together, there was something available for every one of the 3,500 animal lovers that attended.
“It’s a celebration of adopting pets out to the community, about loving our pets and taking care of them and we also have an expo here, where you can get great things for the pets (you) already have,” Wohlgefahrt explained.
Local families in search of the perfect pet flooded the arena. While Audrey Hester, of Bradenton, browsed the various booths and tables, she happened upon the perfect match for her German Shepherd at home.
Hester’s family took home Pearl, a 5-year-old brown mutt that Bishop Animal Shelter volunteers described as a “super goofy, playful girl that loves other dogs.”
“The plan was to come see the dogs and explore, but we decided that she just had to come with us,” Hester said.
That was fantastic news for her 3-year-old son, Grayson, who enjoyed leading Pearl on her leash.
On the other side of the room, Manatee County Animal Services set up kennels housing an assortment of dogs. On top of each kennel was an introductory personality card that described their strengths and pointed out potential issues for new owners.
Bradenton resident Gricelda Torres stopped at the cages, searching for her own dog to take home.
“I’m looking for one that’s playful and well-behaved, and the displays are helpful for that,” she said.
Adopt-A-Palooza came at a crucial time for Manatee County Animal Services, which has been dealing with severe overpopulation at its Palmetto shelter in recent months. But the event also highlighted other pet-friendly organizations and businesses.
For current pet owners, there were plenty of services and goods to make their best friends even happier. Tracy Ferguson set up shop at the expo to debut her new local business, Paws Up Apparel, which donates a portion of every sale to the Humane Society of Manatee County.
“I started volunteering with them in June, and I just have a passion for it,” Ferguson said. “I want to help, so when I get business, they get business.”
Just across the way, Humane Society executive director Rick Yocum worked to attract some business by climbing into a dog kennel in an effort to attract enough attention to get Winnie, his organization’s last dog, adopted.
For more information on how you can become involved with MCAS, visit www.MyManatee.org.
