After weeks of searching, a couple in Massachusetts found the perfect pet to adopt — in Alpharetta.
Shannon Keyes wanted a small dog that could travel with her and her husband, Roger, to their homes near Boston, in Bluffton, South Carolina and in the Bahamas.
“We lost our dog in April and started looking for a new fur baby about three weeks ago,” Keyes said.
She began with local shelters and then expanded her search to find Kramer, a 6-month-old, white terrier mix, near Atlanta.
“He’s like a Jack Russell, Westie mix,” Keyes said.
After meeting Kramer virtually via a video, the Keyes fell in love.
“Watching him play with another dog sealed the deal for us,” Shannon Keyes said.
The only problem was that because fees were waived for all dogs and cats at the shelter through Monday, a puppy wasn’t likely to last.
The Keyes couldn’t find an affordable flight into Atlanta during the holidays so they ate their Thanksgiving dinner with family in Boston on Thursday and headed out by car first thing Friday.
“We had fog, we had rain; it was not a fun drive, but I was determined to get this dog,” Keyes said.
Samantha Shelton, president and founder of Furkids, said a Zappos sponsorship allowed the dog and cat shelters to offer free adoptions through Monday, waiving the usual $295 adoption fee.
“About 200 dogs and cats will have been adopted by the end of the day Sunday, which is unprecedented,” Shelton said. “Our shelter has been jam-packed with people and our dog shelter is almost cleared out.”
Shelton wants the dogs and cats to find forever homes and though she said it’s rare to turn away those who want to adopt, anyone who can’t commit to caring for a pet through a move or who won’t pay for veterinary care won’t be approved.
It took about 13 hours to arrive at the shelter in Alpharetta, but when the Keyes met Kramer, the only surprise was his size.
“He was about four pounds lighter than I’d thought,” Keyes said.
Keyes said it’s important to her to adopt and not shop for a pet.
“I’ll pay a shelter an adoption fee but never a breeder,” Keyes said.
To her, dogs are the most loving, appreciative creatures.
“He knows he’s got a home now,” Keyes said of her puppy.
Pet adoption fees will be waived through 5 p.m. Monday and anyone looking for a forever friend can fill out an application online at Furkids.org.
The cat shelter is located at 2650 Pleasantdale Road in Atlanta and the dog shelter is located at 1520 Union Hill Road in Alpharetta.
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