Local animal lovers will no longer have to travel to Eatontown or Freehold to adopt a furry friend in need of a forever home.
The Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MCSPCA) will open a new adoption center inside the local Petco store on Nov. 15.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony will include a meet-and-greet with the animals up for adoption, a 50/50 raffle, giveaways and refreshments at the Middletown store located at 1391 Route 35 South.
“We will be sending animals to this adoption center. It will be hosted inside Petco, but it is run by the MCSPCA,” said Liz Wise, development director for the Eatontown-based MCSPCA.
She said there will be dogs and puppies, cats and kittens, rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters up for adoption. Some of the animals are strays, while others were surrendered by their owners.
The shelter also takes in animals from other shelters, including overcrowded facilities down south and in Puerto Rico, and animals at risk of being euthanised.
According to a press release from Wise, the MCSPCA expects to find homes for 50 homeless animals that will be showcased during the grand opening weekend at the Petco location. The new center joins existing MCSPCA adoption centers in Eatontown and at Freehold Raceway Mall.
Wise said she is excited about the new location and hopes it opens the MCSPCA adoptions up to a whole new pool of potential adoptees.
“We think it is a great opportunity to expand our adoption outreach effort. Middletown is a little more of a northern town, and it is a wonderful opportunity to be there where people are already shopping for their own pets. It is great exposure for us,” she said.
“We partnered with Petco because they have worked with other shelters around the country. We are really excited to partner with them, especially with all the traffic they get in their store.”
She said there are 400 cats and over 100 dogs up for adoption.
Wise said the MCSPCA, which is a nokill shelter, had more than 3,700 adoptions last year, and hopes the Middletown location drives that number up.
“People have busy lives, and this is an opportunity to go to where [the homeless pets] are,” she said.
“We have an adoption screening process with a survey and screening questions. This way we have the information to try and pair up the best pet with people.
“Every animal has a personality and needs someone with a similar personality to be paired up with. We want them to go to a great home.”