For Immediate Release

Contact: b j Altschul, APR

240.773.5967
bja@mchumane.org
Main Shelter Information: 240.773.5960

Rockville, Maryland -- June 3, 2011 -- At the Montgomery County Humane Society alone, more than 2,600 cats and kittens enter the shelter each year. To celebrate Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat Month, MCHS is participating in a fee-waived adoption program from June 6 through June 30 to help find loving homes for cats. The promotion is in collaboration with the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® (“ASPCA”) and the makers of Fresh Step® litter (“Fresh Step”).  

Waiving fees for adult cats boosts adoptions without diminishing the value adopters place on their cats, according to ASPCA research recently published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science. Plus, surprisingly, fee-waived adoptions may actually decrease shelter costs by reducing the average length of stay for adult cats, and also could increase donations due to an increase in adopters.

Costs to care for a cat at the shelter include veterinary care and vaccinations as needed, staff time, food, and services such as micro-chipping, spay-neuter, and flea treatment, among others. “With fees waived, new cat adopters will have extra money to spend on their pet,” says Kathy Dillon, operations and medical programs manager. “And ultimately, the cat has a loving home. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

Purrfect Way to Help

MCHS fee-waived adoptions will begin June 6 and continue through June 30 for cats age 2 years and older. All other adoption policies and thorough match-making procedures will remain in effect, including license fees required by county law.

If there isn’t room at your home for a fabulous feline, there’s another way you can help. From June 1 through July 31, 2011, simply “Like” Fresh Step’s Facebook Page. With that simple action, the makers of Fresh Step litter will donate $1 (up to $100,000) to the ASPCA to help expand programs like this and get more cats adopted.

About the Montgomery County Humane Society:

The Montgomery County Humane Society in Rockville, MD, is a nonprofit animal welfare organization that has provided animal sheltering services for Montgomery County since 1958. MCHS receives funds to operate the Montgomery County Animal Shelter under a grant from the Montgomery County Government and from private donations. As the only full-service animal shelter in the county, MCHS handled more than 9,200 animals in 2010, and, as an open admission shelter, never turns an animal away. Visit our website to learn more, or call 240.773.5960 option 4. Hours to visit with the animals are weekdays, noon-7 p.m., and weekends, noon-5 p.m.; closed Wednesdays.

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About Fresh Step® Litter

Fresh Step® Litter is a product of The Clorox Pet Products Company, a subsidiary of The Clorox Company, headquartered in Oakland, Calif.  The Clorox Company is a leading manufacturer and marketer of consumer products with 8,300 employees and fiscal year 2010 revenues of $5.53 billion. For more information about Fresh Step® litter, visit their website. Follow Fresh Step on Facebook or on twitter at @freshsteplitter.

About the ASPCA®

Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is the first humane organization established in the Americas and serves as the nation’s leading voice for animal welfare. One million supporters strong, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. The ASPCA, which is headquartered in New York City, offers a wide range of programs, including a mobile clinic outreach initiative, its own humane law enforcement team, and a groundbreaking veterinary forensics team and mobile animal CSI unit. For more information, please visit their website. Become a fan of the ASPCA on Facebook, or follow the ASPCA on Twitter.