PICK ME! SC: SOUTH CAROLINA’S STATEWIDE ADOPTION EVENT BREAKS RECORD!

1,723 adoptions took place during Pick Me! SC.

NORTH CHARLESTON – Pick Me! SC was a huge success, with 51 animal rescue shelters and Petco locations around the state opening their doors for pet adoptions June 18 – 27. “As the number of animals in shelters reached crisis levels, South Carolinians once again responded to their local animal rescue shelters to make room for one more family member,” said Charleston Animal Society President and CEO Joe Elmore, CAWA. “We are thrilled that this year’s event broke all previous records by topping 1,700 adoptions; it was a milestone for South Carolina animals!”

The statewide adoption event is sponsored by Petco Love (formerly the Petco Foundation), in partnership with BOBS from Skechers. Pick Me! SC is organized by No Kill South Carolina 2024, an initiative of Charleston Animal Society. “We want to give a big thank you to Petco Love and BOBS from Skechers for their continued support and belief in this annual adoption event,” said No Kill South Carolina 2024 Chief Project Director Abigail Appleton, PMP, CAWA. “We believe this is the nation’s only annual statewide adoption event for both dogs and cats.”

1.723 ADOPTIONS SETS NEW PICK ME! SC RECORD

The 2021 goal was to save 1,500 lives through adoptions and as the final adoption tally rolled in, the number of adoptions climbed to 1,723. Most shelters and adoption centers offered “no-fee” or “low-fee” adoptions as a gesture of gratitude in this lifesaving campaign for families making room for one more.

The record-breaking adoptions came despite lingering concerns over the pandemic. Four animal rescue shelters had more than 100 adoptions:

Greenville County Animal Care: 247
Charleston Animal Society: 238
Anderson County PAWS: 164
Berkeley Animal Center: 105

699 dogs and 1,024 cats were adopted during the statewide adoption campaign. Cat adopters were surprised with an additional treat of an adoption kit from World’s Best Cat Litter.

Long-Term Impact of Pick Me! SC

Many people who adopted at Pick Me! SC in the past shared that they had never visited their local animal rescue shelter before the Pick Me! SC events. Animal welfare leaders throughout the state hope people will continue to see the value that animal rescue shelters bring to their individual communities.

For more information, visit PickMeSC.org.

INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.

About Petco Love (Formerly Petco Foundation)

Petco Love is a nonprofit changing lives by making communities and pet families closer, stronger, and healthier. Since our founding in 1999 as the Petco Foundation, we’ve empowered animal welfare organizations by investing $300 million in adoption and other lifesaving efforts. We’ve helped find loving homes for more than 6.5 million pets in partnership with Petco and organizations nationwide. Today, our love for pets drives us to lead with innovation, creating tools animal lovers need to reunite lost pets, and lead with passion, inspiring and mobilizing communities and our more than 4,000 animal welfare partners to drive lifesaving change alongside us. Is love calling you? Visit petcolove.org or follow at Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn to be part of the lifesaving work we’re leading every day.

About BOBS from Skechers

BOBS from Skechers’ charitable collection of shoes, apparel and accessories have improved animals’ lives: over the past five years, Skechers has contributed more than $6.6 million to help more than 1.2 million shelter pets, including saving more than 894,000 rescued pets in the United States and Canada. It all started in 2011, when Skechers launched a movement to support children impacted by natural disasters and poverty – a cause that has helped the Company donate more than 16 million new pairs of shoes to kids in more than 60 countries worldwide. To learn more about BOBS from Skechers’ commitment to making a difference, visit BOBSfromSkechers.com and follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

About No Kill South Carolina 2024

No Kill South Carolina 2024 is an initiative of Charleston Animal Society and is made possible thanks to the generosity of Petco Love. Since its inception in 2015, No Kill South Carolina initiative has saved half a million lives, with over 30,000 fewer euthanasias, with the goal to create a No Kill state by 2024. www.NoKillSouthCarolina.org

ANIMAL SHELTERS IN CRISIS ACROSS SOUTH CAROLINA

Pick Me! SC statewide adoption event helping, but more adoptive families are needed.

Animal shelters and rescues across South Carolina are reporting they are at or over capacity, just as the Pick Me! SC statewide adoption enters its homestretch through Sunday. “We are checking in daily with organizations and one after the other is telling us that they are filling up kennels as fast as they can empty them,” said No Kill South Carolina Project Director Becca Boronat. “We are sending out an urgent plea for people across the state to share information about Pick Me! SC so we can get as many of these animals out of the shelter as possible.”

More than 50 shelters, rescues and Petco locations around the state are involved in this amazing lifesaving event that runs through June 27^th.

The statewide adoption event is sponsored by Petco Love (formerly the Petco Foundation), in partnership with BOBS from Skechers. Pick Me! SC is organized by No Kill South Carolina 2024, an initiative of Charleston Animal Society. The goal is to save 1,500 lives through adoptions. As of Tuesday, more than 700 lives had been saved. Most shelters and adoption centers are offering “no-fee” or “low-fee” adoptions as part of this lifesaving event.

Four Things YOU Can Do to Help

Adopt: Please Make Room for One More!

Foster: Share the gift of your home temporarily, to free up space in your area shelter.

Sponsor an Adoption: If you can’t adopt, will you pay for an adoption to help save a life?

Share PickMeSC.org: Please share information on Pick Me! SC on social media and with your friends and family.

Petco Taking Part

Many people who adopted at Pick Me! SC last year, shared that they had never visited their local shelter before the Pick Me! SC adoption event. Organizers hope people will continue to see the value that shelters bring to their individual communities.

If you are adopting, please remember to bring a leash for dogs or a carrier for cats. Some of the locations may have these items for sale but be sure to check in advance. For more information, visit PickMeSC.org. VIDEO CLICK HERE. PHOTOS CLICK HERE.

INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.

About Petco Love
At Petco Love, formerly the Petco Foundation, we believe that every animal deserves to live its best life. Since 1999, we’veinvested more than $300 million in lifesaving animal welfare work to make that happen. With our more than4,000 animal welfare partners, we inspire and empower communities to make a difference by investing inadoption and medical care programs, spay and neuter services, pet cancer research, service and therapy animals, and numerous other lifesaving initiatives. Learn more at PetcoLove.org.

About Skechers U.S.A., Inc.
Based in Manhattan Beach, California, Skechers (NYSE:SKX) designs, develops and markets a diverse range of lifestyle footwear for men, women and children, as well as performance footwear for men and women.

About No Kill South Carolina

No Kill South Carolina is an initiative of the Charleston Animal Society and is made possible thanks to the generosity of Petco Love. Since its inception in 2015, No Kill South Carolina initiative has saved half a million lives, with over 30,000 fewer euthanasias, with the goal to create a No Kill state by 2024. www.NoKillSouthCarolina.org

About Charleston Animal Society

Since 1874, the mission of Charleston Animal Society has always been the prevention of cruelty to animals. More than 15,000 animals will turn to Charleston Animal Society for caring, compassion and hope this year alone. For more information, visit www.CharlestonAnimalSociety.org.

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