According to the ASPCA, there are currently 7.6 million animals in shelters across the U.S. right now — about 3.9 million dogs and 3.9 million cats — and they're all waiting for someone to take them home.
Sadly, some of them have to wait a long time.
But that wasn't the case at the Forsyth Humane Society in Winston-Salem, NC.
On December 22, an anonymous donor left a gift of $5,000 at the shelter, covering the adoption fees of every single animal there, meaning they could all go home, even to families who might have shied away from an adoption fee.
The following day, the amazed and bewildered shelter staff opened its doors to an equally amazed and bewildered community, that had gathered to take home a cat or a dog just in time for the holidays.
This isn't the first time an animal shelter has been emptied thanks to donations and an enthusiastic public, and we're hoping it won't be the last, either.
"To be able to walk into work Friday morning and see a line of excited people waiting for our shelter to open was spectacular," says marketing coordinator Alex Watkins. "The fact that this is one less barrier to get more animals out of the shelter and into homes was truly a Christmas miracle."
[H/T: The Dodo]
For nearly 50 years, the Forsyth Humane Society in Winston-Salem, NC, has been providing care and space for cats and dogs until they're able to find forever homes.
Being the only no-kill shelter in the area, the staff is passionate about not only finding homes for pets, but also about educating the public about controlling pet populations.
The shelter is a temporary home to dogs…
…and cats.
On December 22, someone left the shelter $5,000.
They still don't know who this mystery donor was, but enough money was given to cover the adoption fees of every single dog and cat in the shelter.
Absolutely stunned by the gesture, the shelter told the public, and the public responded.
Local families turned out in droves to take home pets just in time for the holidays. Some even took home more than one, like this family who adopted cats Joy and Jingle.
Other families took home dogs, and everyone, including the animals, was filled with joy that day.
Of course, the shelter staff interviewed potential adopters and made sure to find them a pet that was the right fit for their lives.
If a family was determined to be a good match for a pet, they could take them home that day.
That Friday, some 30 adoptions were closed.
By Tuesday, December 27, there was no one left!
The kennels and pens were all empty. All the dogs and cats had gone off to their new homes to celebrate the holidays and the New Year — and whole new lives — with their new humans.
Needless to say, the staff was overjoyed.
The staff was thrilled that they were able to provide homes for 30 animals and help the community add new members to their families.
It was especially touching to see animals who had been waiting a long time finally meet families to call their own.
"It's always an emotional experience when one of our longer-term residents finally goes home," Watkins says.
The shelter's not done helping animals, of course.
On December 28, 28 new animals came by, collected from various rescue organizations around the county, and the staff will continue to care for them and find them loving homes.
"Thank you again to our anonymous donor," Watkins says. "We promise to not stop working until they all have a home."
You can learn more about the Forsyth Humane Society, including how to help, on their website and Facebook page, and SHARE this story to show what donations can really do!
