Dakin Humane Society Halving Adoption Fees Through July 11

SPRINGFIELD — Dakin Humane Society will reduce adoption fees for all cats, kittens, and tiny spirit kittens by 50% from Tuesday, July 7 through Saturday, July 11, according to Executive Director Meg Talbert.

“Summer is always Dakin’s busiest season, and although we’re still early in the season, we’ve seen the number of animals in our care steadily increase over the past several weeks,” Talbert said. “Last year, we welcomed just under 1,500 kittens — the highest number we’ve seen in many years — and all indications suggest we’ll experience another exceptionally busy season. We currently have many cats, kittens, and tiny spirit kittens waiting for loving homes, and by reducing adoption fees, we hope to help more of them find the families they deserve.”

Tiny Spirit Kittens are born outdoors to feral (wild) moms and have had little to no contact with humans. They are shy and fearful of people until they learn to trust. Tiny spirit kittens brought to Dakin are helped by volunteers to become used to the company of people, comfortable with being touched, and able to trust that people are a positive presence in their lives. Each has a different level of comfort and a unique personality. In time, some may become very sweet and outgoing, while others may only ever trust their adopter and no one else. Tiny spirit kittens are usually very comfortable in the presence of other cats.

Cat and kitten adoption fees as listed on Dakin’s website (dakinhumane.org) will be cut in half through July 11. Dakin is open for adopters to visit Tuesdays through Saturdays from 12:30 to 3 p.m., but they are advised to visit the website first to see which animals they are most interested in to help minimize their waiting time onsite.

Feline adoption fees at Dakin include a variety of services and treatments, including a veterinary exam, spay/neuter surgery, age-appropriate vaccinations, microchip and registration, a rabies vaccine (if the pet is over 12 weeks of age), access to behavior support, a free post-adoption veterinary exam at participating clinics, and a food starter pack. Other features include a feline leukemia test, FIV test, flea and ear mite treatment, and deworming treatment. According to Talbert, the pre-adoption cost of care for each adoptable animal that comes to Dakin averages $950.