Marin Humane Society Reports Nearly 20 Percent Increase in Adoptions

The Marin Humane Society experienced double-digit growth in 2012. The organization increased adoptions by 19.8 percent while the total number of incoming animals to its facility, including rescued, stray and surrendered animals, increased by 17.5 percent. MHS attributes the growth to several factors, including the organization’s participation in the 2012 Rachael Ray $100K Challenge, the debut of a new dog adoption center and the implementation of new programs and promotions to increase the number of homes found.

MHS adopted 2,683 animals in 2012. Adoption numbers increased for all species, including dogs (839), cats (1,049), and small companion and farm animals (795).The total number of incoming animals to MHS, including stray and surrendered animals, and rescued wildlife, was 5,812. Seventy-seven percent of stray dogs and twenty-seven percent of stray cats that came to the shelter were redeemed by their guardian, compared to the estimated national average of thirty percent for dogs and two to five percent for cats.

Highlights from 2012

• Dog adoptions have been on the rise since the organization’s new dog adoption center debuted in October 2011. The center increased canine housing capacity, created a more comfortable environment for adoption dogs and improved the overall adoption experience.
• In February 2012, MHS began posting photos and descriptions of lost animals on its website at MarinHumaneSociety.org/LostPets, and in August 2012 the organization launched a pilot program in which found flyers for stray cats are posted in neighborhoods where the animals are found.
• In March 2012, news of the neglect of more than 50,000 hens on a Central California egg farm made national headlines. MHS assisted with the enormous rescue effort by transporting more than 400 malnourished hens to its facility where they found new homes.
• From August 1 to October 31 MHS was one of fifty shelters nationwide that participated in the Rachael Ray $100K Challenge, sponsored by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). MHS exceeded the minimum goal to find homes, through adoptions or reuniting lost animals with their guardian, for at least 300 more cats and dogs during the same period in 2011. MHS found homes for 1,101 cats and dogs from August 1 to October 31, 2012 compared to 660 cats and dogs during the same period in 2011.
• During the $100K Challenge, MHS implemented a month-long “Name Your Own Adoption Fee” and one-day, fee-waived adoptathon. Both were first-time promotions for the organization and resulted in a spike in adoption numbers.
• MHS received a massive influx of cats after someone abandoned 36 black and white felines in the early morning hours of November 25 and December 4. Adoption fees were temporarily reduced by fifty percent and the cats swiftly found homes.

“We are pleased to report impressive double-digit growth for 2012,” says Nancy McKenney, chief executive officer. “Our staff and volunteers are incredibly dedicated and were willing to try new programs and activities over the past year in an effort to find homes for more animals than ever before. Their passion and hard work, coupled with amazing support from our community, allowed us to save even more animals’ lives in 2012.”