Muncie Animal Care and Services (MACS) began a new, month-long program Sept. 22 that offers animals for adoption for $5.
Employee Braqulle Rutherford said the promotion was created as a response to the shelter being “beyond full capacity… [and] not very successful lately in any of our adoptions.”
All cats and dogs are spayed, neutered and given age-appropriate vaccines at the facility, in addition to being tested for heartworms and dewormed if necessary. All pets are currently on flea prevention treatment.
All adoptions come with a free wellness check from the facility’s vet, and the $5 adoption fee is waived for first responders, military personnel, and senior citizens. All animals older than six who have been in the facility for more than six months are also available for free. Potential pet owners are given the chance to meet one of the facility’s dogs and cats before they take them home.
“Our goal here is to get them all into homes,” said MACS office manager Ashley Honeycutt. “Most of the Ball State kids have breed restrictions and weight restrictions for dogs, [but] I have to say that [Ball State Housing and Residence Life has] gotten way more lenient over the last couple of years.”
Honeycutt also said any potential adopters should consider the “ten year minimum” commitment of owning a pet, especially once they graduate from Ball State. She mentioned there were plenty of ways for students to interact with the pets without making this commitment.
“They can come in and socialize with [the animals], it's good for the animals to take them out for a walk or out to play,” Honeycutt said. “If you need to decompress or just had a rough day, come to the Kitten Corner for an hour and let the kittens climb all over you.”
The $5 promotion runs through Oct. 22.
Anyone interested in adopting a pet or volunteering can contact the shelter on Facebook at @MuncieAnimalShelter, online or via phone at (765) 747-4851.
As part of an Adopt-A-Thon earlier this summer, MACS offered cats and dogs at a reduced price and required people who rent homes to provide a copy of their pet policy prior to adopting any animal.
Contact Nathan Hill with comments at nathan.hill@bsu.edu.
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