With the annual National Dog Day being celebrated this week, Humane Society of Boulder Valley officials said the time is right to welcome a new furry friend to its forever home.
“It’s the perfect time to adopt,” Director of Shelter Services Amanda Boerman said in an email. “If you can’t adopt, foster and donate.”
National Dog Day, which is marked annually on Aug. 26, was established in 2004 by animal rescue advocate and dog trainer Colleen Paige. The date holds significance for Paige and commemorates her family adopting their first rescue dog when she was 10 years old.
In recent months the percentage of pets being admitted to the shelters has outpaced adoptions by roughly 5% in Boulder Valley and statewide, according to Boerman.
“Overall adoption demand is still not matching the demand for relinquishment services,” she wrote. “Many organizations are over capacity.”
National Dog Day celebrates mixed and pure breeds and is intended to focus attention on the immense number of shelter dogs needing forever homes. Organizers encourage dog owners, and those without pets, to donate $5 to a local shelter.
According to the Shelter Animals Count national database, the gap between intakes and placements is forecast to reach 10% nationally by the end of the year.
Boerman noted that the Humane Society of Boulder Valley has been able to accommodate all intakes in August but in light of the recent trend, the organization has begun requesting appointments for surrenders ”so we can match staffing and resources in anticipation of the arrival of community pets,” she wrote. “Some of our neighbors have had temporary pauses on surrender services.”
