Citrus County Animal Services Adopts 91 Pets During BISSELL Pet Foundation's "Empty the Shelters"

The country’s largest funded adoption event found homes for thousands of shelter pets

Citrus County Animal Services (CCAS) announces 91 adoptions during its participation in BISSELL Pet 
Foundation’s Spring National “Empty the Shelters event. From May 2 - 15, a total of 13,504 homeless 
pets were adopted from 280 shelters in 45 states. Since 2016, “Empty the Shelters” is the nation’s 
largest funded adoption event, impacting the lives of more than 96,000 pets through adoption.  CCAS 
 offered  free  for  pet  adoptions  including  dogs,  cats,  puppies,  and  kittens.  91 animals 
were adopted during the event, including three ducklings, a pigeon, and a pig.

“Empty the Shelters” is BISSELL Pet Foundation’s largest initiative and continues to grow each year 
to provide critical relief to overcrowded shelters. The nationwide event set a record during this  
event  with  280  participating  shelters.  BISSELL  Pet  Foundation  provides  grants  for  each 
adoption - $100 per dog and $50 per cat - allowing shelters to reduce adoption fees to $25 or less. 
Pets must be spayed/neutered, vaccinated and microchipped before being adopted out, an additional 
cost savings for the family, making the choice to adopt even more affordable.

“Right now, shelters are so full, and pets are experiencing longer stays. Our partners are 
reporting that ‘Empty the Shelters’ is driving even more adopters into their facilities. With the 
decline in transport, local adoptions have become our primary lifesaving tool,” said Cathy Bissell, 
founder of BISSELL Pet Foundation. “This is an expensive program for our small foundation, but it 
is a proven success, and we can’t turn our backs when we know we can save thousands of lives in one 
event.”

“We are grateful for our partnership with the Bissell Pet Foundation and Cathy Bissell,” said 
Colleen Yarbrough, Director of Animal Services. “They help bring light to issues that shelters 
face. ‘Empty the Shelters’ is one of the many programs they offer that benefit pets in communities 
nationwide. We are also thankful for all of those who gave the winning lottery ticket to pets in 
our care by giving them a home for life.”

For     more     information     on     adopting     or     donating     to     “Empty     the     
Shelters,” visit www.bissellpetfoundation.org/empty-the-shelters as well as www.citrusbocc.com.

About BISSELL Pet Foundation:
BISSELL  Pet  Foundation is a  charitable  501©(3) nonprofit organization with  a  mission to help 
reduce  the  number  of  animals  in  shelters  through  pet  adoption,  spay/neuter  programs, 
microchipping and emergency support. Founded in 2011 by Cathy Bissell, BPF is an extension of her 
long-standing love for animals and commitment to their welfare. BPF has since partnered with more 
than 5,600 shelters and rescues across the U.S. and Canada to help pets find loving homes. The 
foundation is supported by generous donors and BISSELL Homecare, Inc where every purchase saves 
pets. To learn more and make a donation, visit www.bissellpetfoundation.org.