Harmar car dealership to host pet adoption event

As Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley operates at full capacity, a Harmar car dealership will host its first-ever adoption event this month with the hopes of getting all the animals to good homes.

Shults Ford of Harmarville will hold the event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, at the dealership, 1300 Gulf Lab Road. It will be held in conjunction with Animal Protectors, a nonprofit no-kill shelter in New Kensington that has served the area for more than 50 years.

“I feel like this shelter’s a bit of a smaller shelter,” said Chelsea McCarrick, marketing manager for Shults Ford. “It’s not one you hear about all the time. It’s just a shelter we’re trying to bring awareness to.

“Ideally, we would like to get every cat and dog in that shelter a home. But, really, any animal that finds a home is better off.”

The dealership will cover all adoption fees, McCarrick said. If someone is unable to attend the event, it still will cover any fees from Monday, Dec. 12, to Sunday, Dec. 18, for anyone who adopts directly from Animal Protectors, 730 Church St., New Kensington.

Ali Singhose, office coordinator for Animal Protectors, said getting people in the door isn’t the problem. The fact that some people can’t afford adoption fees has the facility operating at full capacity.

“This event is actually attracting a lot of people to (adopt),” Singhose said. “People are actually looking forward to that. And, also, we have our community pantry, so we’re just trying to help out the public as much as we can and help the shelter.”

As of Thursday, the shelter housed 14 cats and 25 dogs. However, the shelter is expecting to receive more dogs and cats shortly.

While they have a relatively small number of cats, dogs are harder to get adopted because of potential owners focusing on aspects such as how well they do with children and other pets.

“Whatever we can do to get the animals to better homes, the better,” Singhose said.

Additional information can be found in a YouTube video posted by Shults Ford, and donations can be made to Animal Protectors at animalprotectors.net.