JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Are you considering welcoming a new pet into your home? The nonprofit BISSELL Pet Foundation’s Empty the Shelters – Holiday Hope event is working to lower adoption fees at local shelters, aiming to ensure every dog and cat finds a home this holiday season.

BISSELL hosts its Empty the Shelters events quarterly, and this season, over 300 shelters nationwide are reducing adoption fees to $70 or less until December 15. This includes three shelters along the First Coast participating in the initiative.

“This year has placed enormous pressure on shelters across the country, as more families face financial hardship and housing changes that force them to surrender beloved pets,” said Cathy Bissell, Founder of BISSELL Pet Foundation. “If you’re considering adding a pet to your family, adoption has so many benefits. Shelters have desirable pets of every size and age—many who have lived in homes, are house-trained, already spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and ready to become part of your family—all for a fraction of the cost of buying from a breeder or pet store. Our Empty the Shelters Holiday Hope event is a chance for all of us to end the year by giving shelter pets what they deserve most—a loving home.”

Since its inception in 2016, BISSELL reports that the Empty the Shelters initiative has facilitated nearly 375,000 adoptions.

This December, the Jacksonville Humane Society, Nassau Humane Society, and Clay County Animal Services are among those participating, each offering their own pricing and schedule for the event.

The Jacksonville Humane Society begins the adoption event after hitting a bittersweet milestone: 10,000 animals cared for so far this year. JHS says the last time it did intakes on so many animals was in 2005, prior to it achieving no-kill status.

All adoptions at JHS are $25 or less for the duration of the event. 

An additional $20 fee for rabies vaccination certification may apply.

View animals available for adoption now on JHS’s official website.

Until Dec. 15, The Nassau Humane Society is dropping adoption prices depending on the animal species and age. The shelter provided the following prices it will use for the duration of the event:

• Adult cats: $25
• Adult dogs: $50
• Kittens: $50

Puppies and specialty breeds are excluded from the Clear the Shelters discounts.

“Empty the Shelters comes at a time when our kennels are fuller than ever, and every adoption truly changes a life,” said Jenny Paris with the Nassau Humane Society. “We’re grateful to BISSELL Pet Foundation for making it easier for families to open their homes to a shelter pet. This event brings hope to so many animals who just need a chance.”

You can see all the animals available for adoption now on the shelter’s official website.

On Tuesday, Clay County Animal Services said it was in need of adopters due to each of its kennels being full.

Until Dec. 13, all dogs and cats 6 months or older are free to adopt.

To see available animals and hours of operation, visit CCAS’s official website.