1,746 Shelter Dogs and Cats in One Weekend -- WOW!

Maddie's Matchmaker Adoptathon

(Alameda, California) It's a pet adoption event for the record books: 1,746 shelter dogs and cats in two counties found homes on a single weekend.

The event was Maddie's® Matchmaker Adoptathon, held June 12 and 13 in California's Contra Costa and Alameda Counties. Forty-one animal welfare organizations in 72 locations participated, some of them doing as many adoptions in a single day as they normally do in a month. Overall, adoption activity was 500 percent greater than on an average weekend.

Dogs and cats were free to qualified pet lovers, but Maddie's Fund offered the organizations a $500 bonus per adoption, adding up to a total outlay for Maddie's Fund of $873,000. The Maddie's Fund "financial stimulus package" is intended to ease the burdens the recession has placed on so many Bay Area animal welfare agencies.

"We created this event in an ambitious effort to empty local animal shelters and the results exceeded our wildest expectations. We are absolutely thrilled that through this event 1,746 dogs and cats have found their forever homes," said Dave Duffield, Maddie's Fund founder. "We'd like to recognize the heroic effort of the Contra Costa and Alameda County shelters and rescues, and as importantly, the community members that showed up in masses to find their new best friends."

"We went home empty handed but our hearts were full of JOY, every pet found a new forever home," wrote Paws and Tails Animal Rescue.

Glenn Howell, Director, Contra Costa Animal Services Department, wrote, "We had a FANTASTIC day. I believe we adopted every available dog and cat. The animals win today!"

Increased public awareness of local shelters and rescues was another huge benefit of the event. Writes Mike Murray, Chairman of Golden State German Shepherd Rescue, "Besides the adoptions, which were wonderful, I think one of the things I felt was so important, was this adoptathon introducing so many people to shelter and rescue animals. Many of whom had never adopted a rescue animal, or really knew the situations that exist for these animals. This weekend gave all the shelters and rescues a chance to educate the public, as well as find some wonderful homes for all the animals in need."

As for the record-making adoption numbers, Maddie's Fund will be submitting them to the Guinness Book of World Records.

Maddie's® Matchmaker Adoptathon was held in honor of the Foundation's namesake, a miniature schnauzer named Maddie.


Most Adoptions:

Oakland Animal Services: 133

Contra Costa Animal Services: 111

East Bay SPCA: 103

HALO (Homeless Animals Lifeline Organization): 100

Safe Cat Foundation: 94

Great Kitty and Doggy Rescue of Rescue Alliance: 82


Please visit the Maddie's® Matchmaker Adoptathon website and Facebook Page to read more about this amazing event.


About Maddie's Fund

Maddie's Fund®, The Pet Rescue Foundation, is a family foundation which is funded by the founder of Workday and PeopleSoft, Dave Duffield and his wife, Cheryl. Maddie's Fund is helping to create a no-kill nation where all healthy and treatable shelter dogs and cats are guaranteed a loving home.

To achieve this goal, Maddie's Fund is investing its resources in building community collaborations where animal welfare organizations come together to develop successful models of lifesaving; in veterinary colleges to help shelter medicine become part of the veterinary curriculum; and in the implementation of a national strategy to promote accountability and transparency in animal shelter operations. Maddie's Fund is named after the family's beloved Miniature Schnauzer who passed away in 1997.




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