Homeless pets found their families across the country during BISSELL Pet Foundation’s (BPF) Fall Empty the Shelters event from October 4-10, 2021. The national event set a new record for adoptions, with 6,172 dogs and cats finding their adoptive homes. BPF sponsored reduced-fee adoptions in 200 shelters in 41 states.

Thanks to adopters nationwide, 3,388 cats and 2,784 dogs were adopted, while 324 pets (143 cats and 181 dogs) found homes through the event’s foster-to-adopt program! Since January 2021, BPF has helped find homes for 18,358 pets and provided $1,362,200 in direct funding to the shelter partners through Empty the Shelters.

With thousands of pets settling into their new lives, we are incredibly grateful for the individuals who chose to adopt. Here are a few amazing stories we just had to share:

• Oedipus Wrecks, a 3-year-old orange tabby cat, secured his forever home after months of waiting. This handsome boy was rehabilitated from life-threatening wounds and illness from his life on the streets thanks to the compassionate team at Crash’s Landing in Grand Rapids, MI.
• Gus (formerly known as Buckwheat) spent more than 210 days in the care of Furry Friends Adoption, Clinic & Ranch in Jupiter, FL, before finding his forever home through Empty the Shelters. This 3-year-old American Bulldog weighed in at more than 80lbs making him the largest resident at the shelter. Gus will now live out his days with his new family, including a German Shepard named Bella.
• Teostra and Lunastra, a bonded pair of senior siblings, found their forever home together through Houston Humane Society’s Empty the Shelters! This 7-year-old pair of Boykin Spaniel mixes are thriving in their new home after being left on the Houston Humane property in July.

We want to thank our fantastic rescue and shelter partners for going above and beyond to connect so many pets with their new families. Stay tuned for more information about the next Empty the Shelters event. For more information on adopting, donating, or viewing participating shelters, click here.