It's a heartbreaking statistic: 6.5 million dogs and cats enter shelters every year. From the animal's perspective, it's a stressful time, filled with new people, new noises, new smells, and only a tiny space to call their own.
Charleston Animal Society is launching an innovative new program called Home To Home® designed to help animals skip the shelter altogether.
"With Home To Home, we now offer resources to people who for whatever reason, have to give up their pet," said Charleston Animal Society Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Aldwin Roman, CAWA.
Underway for just one month, the Home To Home program is currently helping 44 animals around Charleston County find new homes, without having to enter the shelter. Charleston Animal Society takes in 90% of homeless animals in Charleston County.
The goal is to put people surrendering their pet in touch with other people who are looking for a new best friend.
"We see so many people who find themselves in situations they never imagined and now they have to make the difficult decision to give up their cat or dog," said Charleston Animal Society Director of the Animal Resource Center Christina Ellwood, CAWA. "They may have lost a job, fallen ill or run into landlord issues -- we see so many people who love their animals, but have to surrender them."
The Home To Home program provides a forum for people to share photos and information about animals who need to be adopted.
HOW THE HOME TO HOME PROGRAM WORKS
- People can list their animals for adoption by going to CharlestonAnimalSociety.org/
Rehome-A-Pet - People looking to adopt can see all of the animals available at the same online website
- If you see an animal you are interested in, you click through on that animal, where you can read the animal's description and see photos. a match is made, you click through on that animal where you can read the animal's description and see photos. You can then make contact with the person who owns the animal.
- These animals are always free to adopt, to prevent puppy mills and other un-vetted breeders from using the site
- The descriptions are provided by the pet owners, so new adopters must verify the information by meeting the animal in-person before adopting
"Charleston Animal Society's shelter was designed to hold 250 animals. During most weeks of the year, we have more than 600 animals in our care between the shelter, foster and our sanctuary," said Roman. "Home to Home is one more tool we can use to help our community animals continue to live their best lives by making a seamless transition from one home to another."
