RIVER NORTH — The Anti-Cruelty Society has only 14 days to reach its goal of adopting out 2,100 pets by the end of August. To incentivize more Chicagoans to make room in their hearts for homeless pets, the River North shelter will waive all adoption fees for cats and dogs for the first time Aug. 22 and 23.
Dog adoption fees are typically $95 to $150 for dogs and $65 to $85 for cats.
If the Anti-Cruelty Society meets its 2,100 adoption goal by the end of the month, it'll be in the running for cash prizes as part of the ASPCA's Rachael Ray $100K adoption contest. So far staff has tallied 1,047 adoptions in the two months the contest has been running.
Lizzie Schiffman says this has been a summer long effort:
The shelter is competing against 50 other facilities for the top prize: $100,000, awarded to the shelter that finds homes for the most animals.
The challenge runs through Aug. 31, with monthly goals of adopting a minimum of 300 animals. Thus far it's found homes for 132, and are keeping a running count on its website.
The 114-year-old animal care facility recently finished a nine-month, $8 million renovation that included $3.6 million of upgrades to its aging clinic facility. If it wins the contest, prize money will fund operations and services.
The Anti-Cruelty Society is the only Illinois shelter participating in the contest.
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