After Months of Overcrowding, Fla. Shelter Celebrates ‘Completely Empty’ Cages from Adoption Event

Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center found homes from 123 dogs at a recent adoption event, allowing the shelter to clear out an entire wing

An empty cage is a reason to smile at Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center.

“Every empty kennel means a pup is resting their head in their new home,” the Florida shelter wrote on Facebook, alongside a video recounting the success of a recent adoption event.

According to a Hillsborough County, Florida spokesperson, the county put together The Mega Adoption Event in Tampa Bay, a weekend-long adoption event for the area’s public animal shelters.

The event took place from May 17 to 19 and was “a huge success,” according to a May 21 Facebook post from the Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center, which featured photos of smiling people with their new pets.

“Over the course of just three days, 459 dogs found their new families, including 123 from the Pet Resource Center!” the shelter added on social media.

Animals finding homes is always good news, but it is especially welcomed by the Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center. Ahead of the adoption event, the public shelter was overcrowded for months. The Hillsborough County, Florida, spokesperson estimated that the shelter was at 150 percent capacity before The Mega Adoption Event.

The 123 adoptions helped the Pet Resource Center free up some much-needed space, which will go to other pets looking for forever families.

The shelter celebrated losing its overcrowded status with a video of staff members standing in the over 30 empty cages cleared out by the adoption event.

“This is because of you! Because of your support during this year’s Mega Adoption Event, our B kennel is completely EMPTY,” the shelter wrote in a May 22 Facebook post.

The video shows the camera traveling down the central aisle of the dog-less kennel, capturing shelter staff members smiling at the doors of empty cage after empty cage. Eventually, there aren’t enough staff members to stand in all the empty cages.

While the Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center is no longer overcrowded, the shelter still has dozens of rescue pets looking for homes. Visit the shelter’s website to learn more about the adoptable animals that are available now.