A Minneapolis animal shelter is permanently waiving adoption fees for city residents to encourage more pet adoptions.
The shelter operated by Minneapolis Animal Care and Control (MACC) is currently at capacity, with approximately 80 pets in the building and another 30 animals currently with foster families. MACC staff said they are currently seeing more pets entering the shelter than leaving.
Some people who bought dogs or cats during the pandemic were unable to care for them after returning to work, leaving the facility sometimes overwhelmed, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said at a news conference Tuesday. .
Now, Minneapolis residents can help solve the problem, Frey said.
“If you’re a resident of Minneapolis, you can get a dog or a cat for free. You can choose one to be part of your family,” he said. The mayor spoke of her own experience adopting a cat named Ronda from Minneapolis Animal Care.
Frey also announced $600,000 in funding for animal care technicians, customer service representatives, supplies, food and and facility maintenance.
“We’ve seen an increase in cases and neglect cases and abuse and it’s taking a toll. We have to respond,” said Regulatory Services Director Enrique Velazquez.
The shelter will be able to hire four new staff members to restore Saturday hours, Velazquez said, with the goal of making pets more accessible to busy families.
Minneapolis residents only need to purchase a pet license to adopt pets 7 months and older. For non-residents, the fees are lowered to $100 to adopt dogs and $25 for cats. Fees for birds and other small animals are also reduced.
Walk-in adoptions are available 1 pm to 5 pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and from 1 pm to 7 pm on Thursdays.
“You can be part of the solution by stepping in, making a new dog or cat part of your family and making sure furry friends across the city are cared for and loved,” Frey said.
