4th Annual Adopt-A--Palooza

The 4th Annual Adopt-A-Palooza will be held, Saturday, September 28th 4th at the Bradenton Area Convention Center, 1 Haben Boulevard in Palmetto. Hours are 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Admission and parking are FREE. Adopt-A-Palooza is the largest one-day adoption and expo-style event in Manatee County and will feature over 100 adoptable puppies, dogs, cats and kittens from Manatee County Animal Services (MCAS), local shelters and animal rescues - all under one roof. Participating adoption organizations include: Humane Society of Manatee County, Royal Pet Rescue, Tender Heart Charities, Canine Castaways, Bishop Animal Shelter SPCA, Moonracer Rescue, Hooves Paws and Claws Animal Sanctuary, Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue, Last Chance Animal Sanctuary, Almost Home Rescue of Florida, Cat Depot and Gulf Shore Animal League. ? For pets from MCAS, all adoption fees will be waived in lieu of a donation made to the Friends of Manatee County Animal Services (FoMCAS). Manatee County residents are required to license their new pet for an additional $15 tag fee. All pets will be spayed or neutered, vaccinated and micro-chipped. ? The family-friendly event will include retail vendors selling a variety of pet products and information tables with special pricing on services such as spay and neuter, chipping, vet services and more. Animal Services Division Chief Sarah Brown states, “We are very excited about the evolution of this event, now in its fourth year. With Friends of Manatee County Animal Services as a collaborator, we are hoping to engage even larger audiences to promote responsible pet ownership and the joys of adopting a shelter pet. This event is a fun example of the great things that can happen when communities collaborate to help the homeless animals in Manatee County and surrounding areas.” ? Entertainment and demonstrations such as Feld Entertainment Studio’s Monster Mutt and the Peace River Search and Rescue K9 team will be on hand. Food and beverages, raffles and silent auction items will be part of the event. Attendees are asked to bring cat and dog toys as donations. ? The proceeds from the event will benefit Friends of Manatee County Animal Services. Friends of Manatee County Animal Services is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves as a fundraising arm whose mission it is to work hand in hand with Manatee County Animal Services to enrich the lives of the shelter animals by raising funds to provide additional resources, medical care and heart worm treatment. The funds raised by FoMCAS go directly to help the shelter animals and to help with initiatives at the shelter such as dog beds, turf for the play yards and crates and medical care. ? FoMCAS Board President, Rebecca St. Jean, states, “We are excited to be co-hosting Adopt-A-Palooza. If you are looking to adopt or foster, we know you will find the right pet. And even if people are not looking to adopt, we hope they will come out to help us help the animals of our county.” ? Manatee County Animal Services is Manatee County’s only open-admission shelter facility, taking in an average of 10 animals per day in 2017. By never turning any animal away that comes to us (no matter the condition, age, breed or species), that average has increased this month to 15 animals per day due to kitten season, confiscation cases and owner surrenders. ? The Palmetto Adoption Center and Shelter, located at 305 25th Street West in Palmetto, will be closed to the public on the day of the event. The Downtown Cat Adoption Center, located at 1002 Manatee Avenue West, Bradenton, FL 34205, will be open from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. The adoption fee special applies to all pets at this location. Animal Services can be reached at 941-742-5933. ? For information about Manatee County Animal Services, please contact Hans Wohlgefahrt at hans.wohlgefahrt@mymanatee.org or 941-742-5933 ext. 8307 or visit www.mymanatee.org/pets. ? For information about Friends of Manatee County Animal Services or Adopt-A-Palooza, please contact Caryn Hodge at carynvhodge@gmail.com or 941-713-3105 or visit www.fomcas.org. ? Sponsors and community collaborators for the event include: Bradenton Area Convention Center, Manatee County Government, Bradenton Herald, WCTQ, Mr. AC, Insurance Time, Owner’s Insurance, Poppo’s Taqueria, Swordfish Grille, Lisa Chittaro Law, Two Scoops Ice Cream Parlor, Air and Energy, Carol Whitmore, Ruhl Law, Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper, Suncoast Pet, The New Barker, NDC Construction, Kassandra and Matt Pagel, Anna Maria Olive Oil Outpost, Michele Slaughter Fine Art Photography, Lickity Split Ice Cream, Friends of Manatee County Animal Services and Manatee County Animal Services. For downloadable images and photos, please visit: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2ptj012nnmbhbqv/AAByiQTFF9m-3_Qyw8U4C7HRa?dl=0