‘Fall into Love’ and adopt dogs, cats

Adoption fees for dogs and cats at Humane Society of the Palouse in Moscow will be waived Friday and Saturday as part of the second Fall into Love Valentine adoption event.

HSP Executive Director Tara Wimer said Umpqua Bank and Gritman Medical Center donated enough money to cover adoption fees — $90 for cats and $115 for dogs — for the roughly two dogs and five to 10 cats that will be available for adoption at the Valentine-themed event, which runs 1-6 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the HSP, 2019 E. White Ave.

Wimer said some of the adoption fees for the animals were originally expected to be 50 percent off but Umpqua and Gritman donated the amount needed to cover the full adoption fee amounts for the animals at the shelter.

“When the adoption fees are covered, it makes it even more possible for animals to find a home because then that money can be spent more on their future care versus just getting them into your home,” Wimer said.

The number of dogs and cats available for the two-day event, which Wimer said she hopes to have every year, depends on how many are adopted and brought into the shelter in the days prior to the event.

“We are extremely fortunate in that when our dogs become available for adoption, they almost get adopted that very day,” Wimer said.

She said finding homes for the animals was more difficult in the past, but now they typically stay no more than two weeks at the HSP once they become adoptable.

Jessica Dahlinger, an associate broker at Latah Realty, is sponsoring the event and La Casa Lopez, Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre and Village Centre Cinemas in Moscow donated gift certificates that will be raffled off to benefit the HSP’s emergency surgery fund. Healing Hands Massage Clinic is another raffle sponsor, according to the HSP’s website.

Each adopted animal will receive an adoption kit full of goodies from participating local businesses and an adoption day photo booth and prizes will be available, Wimer said.

She said those wishing to adopt will still need to go through the adoption application process.

Dahlinger said she already sponsors an animal at HSP every week, which means she will pay the adoption fee for an adopter if the person mentions that he or she saw the animal on Dahlinger’s Facebook or Instagram page.

She said she sponsored the event this weekend because she wants to see the animals find a home.

“I like to pet them and snuggle with them, and then I can’t take them home, so I want someone else to,” Dahlinger said.

For more information on the event and adoptions, visit humanesocietyofthepalouse.org.

Garrett Cabeza can be reached at (208) 883-4631, or by email to gcabeza@dnews.com.