Adopt-a-thon to help Joplin Tornado Cats and Dogs

Joplin Humane Society kept cats affected by the Joplin tornado in cat shelters for the past month.

The ASPCA and Joplin Humane Society will host a major adoption event on June 25 and June 26 for nearly 600 dogs and cats who need permanent homes after being displaced by the May 22 tornado that tore through Joplin, Mo.

"After a month of housing and caring for the animal victims of this disaster, our focus now is on finding loving homes for the remaining cats and dogs," said Joplin native Tim Rickey, ASPCA senior director of Field Investigations and Response said in a press release. "We hope people from across the country will open their hearts and give them a second lease on life."

"The outpouring of support from the local community has helped us connect hundreds of displaced animals with their owners, and we thank everyone for their heroic efforts," Karen Aquino, executive director of Joplin Humane Society added. "Our goal now is to find families who will adopt the remaining four-legged tornado survivors, which is in everyone's best interests."

Rickey noted that even in the best of circumstances, conditions in a dog and cat emergency shelter are never ideal. This week, the number of people claiming cats and dogs from the emergency shelter dropped.

Adoption fees are being waived for this event, and adoptable cats and dogs will be spayed/neutered, microchipped, vaccinated and provided an ID tag free of charge. Additionally, all the dogs have been evaluated by the ASPCA dog and cat behavior team to assess temperament and personality in order to make the best possible match with potential adopters.

Both agencies are lining up other activities as well, such as tours of the ASPCA Mobile Animal Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) Unit, a specially-designed vehicle outfitted with state-of-the-art forensics tools as well as medical equipment tailored for dog and cat patients. In addition, the Missouri Emergency Response Service team will conduct large dog and cat rescue demonstrations, and there will be food, music and other family-friendly activities.

Since May 23, the day following the devastating tornado, the ASPCA and Joplin Humane Society have been working around the clock to track down the owners of lost cats and dogs through grassroots outreach and paid advertising including flyers, ads, public service announcements and stories in the media.  The mandatory 14-day holding period for dogs and cats affected by the disaster was even doubled in an effort to reunite as many people and cats and dogs as possible.

To date, the ASPCA has provided emergency sheltering for nearly 1,300 cats and dogs. More than 400 dogs and cats have been reunited with their owners, and 600 dogs and cats are available for adoption. Approximately 300 other cats and dogs include those being boarded by families temporarily displaced and dogs and cats not yet ready for adoption, such as newborns and injured animals.  

The ASPCA provided the Joplin Humane Society with a $100,000 grant to support disaster relief and recovery efforts, and has established a $500,000 grant fund for animal welfare groups affected by disasters across the country.
For more information on the weekend adopt-a-thon and adoption application form, please click here  or here.