Mega Pet Adoption event a success

750 dogs, cats adopted

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – About 750 homeless dogs and cats in our area now have a new place to call home. More than 7,000 people visited the the Mega Pet Adoption event held at the Jacksonville fairgrounds this weekend.

The event is important to help the community reach a no-kill status at shelters.

News4Jax spoke with new pet owners who said they are happy they're saving a life and taking home a new pet.

"I've wanted a dog since third grade, so this is really exciting for me and hopefully I'll have a lot of fun with this dog," said Kaitlyn Bentley.

Bentley is just one of many with a new pet.

Riley Tingley took home a new cat.

"We never had a grey cat and I always kind of wanted one," Riley Tingley said. "And they said he was super energetic, so that should be fun."

Riley Tingley's father knows the importance of adopting pets from shelters and from the Mega Pet Adoption.

"Rescuing animals is they way you're supposed to get new pets," Richard Tingley said. "There's no reason for breeders. There's just so many homeless pets out there that need love."

That's what organizers with First Coast No More Homeless Pets said as well.

"To keep Jacksonville no-kill, which means 90 percent of animals that go into shelters come out of shelters alive -- to keep us no-kill, we have to have the shelters relatively empty," said Keira Kitchings, of First Coast No More Homeless Pets.

Animals up for adoption included dogs seized from a Westside home last month.

Meantime, families like the Tingleys said they are just glad they have a new addition to their family.

"(I'm) pretty excited," Riley Tingley said. "Especially to introduce him into our home."

The next time people will be able to see this many pets will be in July, when the next Mega Pet Adoption event will be held.