The Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter is cutting adoption fees in December as part of a two-week adoption drive to help pets find forever homes ahead of the holidays.
The discount is part of the Bissell Pet Foundation’s Empty the Shelters Event, which will run Dec. 1-15. Adoption fees are being partially sponsored and the discount will vary. Fees for large dogs over a year old are being cut from $50 to $30, while fees for senior cats are being reduced from $38 to $28.
Animal Shelter Program Coordinator Krista Hendricks said she hopes the event will ease the strain an the shelter, which, like many high-intake facilities, is seeing more animals coming in than it has open kennels.
“PRAS has been operating at or nearly at capacity for much of the year, particularly with dogs and cats as they enter the shelter at rates that exceed the number of animals being adopted or reclaimed,” Hendricks said.
Hendricks added that owner surrenders and unclaimed stray animals needing extended care have caused the Peninsula’s shelter to stay full year-round.
The shelter’s capacity is roughly 140 dogs and 100-120 cats, according to Hendricks. However, rising costs of living and apartments adding strict restrictions on the types of animals tenants are allowed to own has led to a reduction in adoptions.
“The summer time through now, we’ve had significantly decreased adoptions,” Hendricks said. “I’m not sure if that’s because the economy continues to worsen or if people just can’t afford the vet care for these pets, because animal care in itself is pretty expensive.”
Hendricks said the adoption fees help reduce upfront care costs. When someone takes home an animal from the Peninsula shelter, they don’t have to worry about spending hundreds to spay or neuter their new pet, worry vaccines aren’t up to date or put a microchip in it.
When pets aren’t adopted or fostered out, the shelter is legally required to euthanize animals to make space for new intakes, Hendricks said, leaving staff responsible for taking inventory of the shelter’s few available kennels every day.
This is the ninth time the Peninsula shelter has participated in this pet drive, which happens four times per year. During the most recent drive in October, 55 cats and 30 dogs were adopted, according to Hendricks. In December 2024, 54 cats and 33 dogs were adopted.
Hendricks urged prospective pet owners to come in with realistic expectations about the type of pet they would be able to take care of. However, she added the shelter works with everyone to make sure they have resources they need for their adoption, and hopes to see even more empty kennels at the end of the holiday drive.
“We want as many animals to find homes as we possibly can to good, loving homes that are going to be forever homes,” Hendricks said.
Devlin Epding, 757-510-4037, devlin.epding@virginiamedia.com
