Brookhaven Animal Rescue League needs help to “Empty the Shelters,” and will participate in a special one-week event to lower adoption fees on select dogs and cats.

The Bissell Pet Foundation-sponsored event will take place Aug. 18-22 to provide emergency support and relief to shelters in need, including BARL.

Shelters across the nation are reporting a 30-50% drop in adoptions this summer, but a greater than usual number of cats and dogs are being surrendered to or rescued by shelters, leading to overcrowding of kennels and longer stays for the pets.

BARL’s regular adoption fees are $100 per dog and $85 per cat. During the “Empty the Shelters: Big Dog & Cat Crisis” emergency adoption event, Bissell will contribute directly to the shelter toward the cost of adoptions, reducing the fee to $25 for large dogs of 40 pounds or more, adult cats age six months and older, and senior dogs age seven years and older.

BARL’s Adoption Center is located at 501 North Park Lane, off Industrial Park Road. The volunteer-run shelter is open to the public Tuesday-Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. Animals available for adoption can be visited in-person at the shelter or viewed online at BARL.net/adopt. BARL also has some cats at PetSense in Brookhaven.

“Our nation’s animal shelters are struggling in the face of overcrowding, which makes Bissell Pet Foundation’s ‘Empty the Shelters’ events an even more critical tool to ensure our shelter partners can find loving families for the pets who so often get overlooked,” said Bissell Pet Foundation founder Cathy Bissell. “Shelters are being faced with tough decisions. We hope this event and the facilitated animal transports can provide some much-needed relief for shelters in dire need of support.”

“Empty the Shelters” events began in 2016 and have helped more than 59,650 animals find forever homes across the United States and Canada.

For more information or to begin the adoption process, visit BARL.net or call 601-757-4367.