Collier County is waiving every adoption fee at its animal shelter from today through Sunday, and putting on a Clear the Shelters market on Saturday
Stock photo
Collier County Domestic Animal Services is waiving adoption fees from today through Sunday, August 23, as part of the national Clear the Shelters campaign, and is holding its first community market at the shelter on Saturday.
Gulf Coast News reported the weekend on Friday, with the division director, Meredith McLean, and the programs manager, Jonee Willette, describing what visitors can expect. Coastal Breeze News carried the county's own announcement a week earlier, quoting Victoria Juran, the marketing and outreach coordinator at the shelter.
The waiver runs all three days, Friday through Sunday, rather than only on the day of the market. Both outlets carry the same window.
The market itself is on Saturday, August 22, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the shelter, 7610 Davis Boulevard in Naples. The county has billed it as local animal-focused vendors, pet products and services, food trucks, giveaways, face painting, temporary tattoos, shaved ice and hot dogs, along with an activity in which children choose and name a stuffed animal to take home. Parking is at the Boys and Girls Club next door.
The hours to plan around come from the county rather than from the event billing. Collier County publishes the shelter as open Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with Wednesdays by appointment, and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The market occupies the first three hours of Saturday, and the shelter is open for two hours after it and all day Sunday.
Gulf Coast News reports the shelter taking in more than 6,000 animals a year, as the county-run safety net for pets in need, across returning strays to owners, adoptions, education, community cat assistance and programs meant to keep pets with the families they already have.
No dollar figure is published here for what is being waived. The county keeps its adoption fee schedule behind a set of collapsed questions on its own adoption page, which did not render, and neither outlet gives an amount. What both report county staff saying is that the fees are waived, and that is what this item states.
The campaign is NBCUniversal's national Clear the Shelters drive, which Gulf Coast News, as an NBC affiliate newsroom, reports the county event as supporting.
The shelter's number is 239-252-7387 and its adoption listings are at pets.collier.gov.
Where we read it: Jason Drew at Gulf Coast News. Read their story.
