With shelter full, Jacksonville Humane Society offering free adoptions

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – When you say the words “100 percent” it usually means something good.

But in the case of the Jacksonville Humane Society, “100 percent” means too much.

They’ve got so many animals, they’re at max capacity. So now, they’re giving away free animals.

With books in their hands, Nicole and Carrie Carr cooed over the cats at the Jacksonville Humane Society on Friday. But their visit was about more than finding a new addition to the family.

“We’re doing the Pawsitive Reading program for my daughter. She wanted to start reading to animals to help them get socialized and help them calm down to become more adoptable,” said Nicole Carr.

Adoption is the ultimate goal at the Humane Society especially right now. That’s why this weekend they’re sponsoring a free adoption event — but only for certain animals.

“Our need right now is for people who are looking for larger dogs or older pets or older adult cats. There is always a need to get those guys in homes. That is going to bring us a lot of relief,” said Lindsay Layendecker with the Jacksonville Humane Society.

Here are the requirements:

  • Dogs must weigh 40 pounds or more
  • Dogs can also be at least 7 years old or older
  • Cats must be 6 months and older

Markisha McClinton and her daughter, Jasmine, also heard the shelter needed help so they came out to find a pet to fill the void after their rabbit passed away.

“It was like having a companion with me. Like having a friend with me. It was really, really nice,” McClinton said.

What hasn’t been so nice are the problems at shelters across the country. They’ve been at maximum capacity, and part of the reason is that people who adopted during the pandemic are now relinquishing their pets. That’s not what they’re seeing in Jacksonville.

“I know there’s been a buzz nationwide about that. Here in Jacksonville that is not the case. We see wonderful loving families every day,” Layendecker said. “The great thing about the Jax Humane Society is we have a wonderful program to help people. So let’s say someone adopted a pet last year, lost their job, had trouble getting back into the workforce, we have everything from pet food to emergency boarding.”

The free adoption event at the Jacksonville Humane Society runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at their Beach Boulevard location.

Layendecker explained the process.

“Just come on into our shelter go through the adoptions entrance, you’re welcome to walk around, look at all the animals. When you find a couple that you’re ready to meet, we’ll let our staff know, you’ll get an individual adoption counselor who will introduce you to those animals, and you can take most of them home the very same day,” she said.

During the event, sisters named Viviana Slaughter and Hannah Woodfall adopted their new dog Moxy.

“I’m really excited to have fun with her and take care of her. I feel like she’s going to be more playful but a bit more scared but we’re going to try to make her comfortable,” said Vivana and Hannah.


About the Authors:

This native of the Big Apple joined the News4Jax team in July 2021.