Williamson County Animal Shelter To Take Part In 'Pawlidayz' To Boost Pet Adoptions

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter will participate in a cooperative effort with online retailer Zappos.com and Best Friends Animal Society to sponsor pet adoptions this holiday season.

Begining on Black Friday and continuing through Cyber Monday, customers will have the opportunity to adopt a dog or cat through the Zappos.com initiative dubbed "Pawlidayz." The company also has pledged to donate a total of $1.25 million to Best Friends Animal Society.

“Zappos is excited to work with Best Friends Animal Society for a second year this holiday season,” said Steven Bautista, Karma Kommando at Zappos.com. “Thousands of dogs and cats are in need of loving homes and we want to give all of our customers the ability to make a difference in their lives.”

More than 115 shelters, rescues and humane organizations across the United States, including Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter, will participate in the initiative, allowing customers nationwide the opportunity to save a furry friend this holiday season, officials said. Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter is an active partner in Best Friends No More Homeless Pets® Network which offers help and support to animal rescue groups that save lives in their communities, officials added.

The reason for the initiative lies in the number of animals that have to be put down when they fail to be placed up for adoption, officials said. Every day across the United States, 9,000 animals are euthanized as a result, officials noted. Representatives at Zappos and Best Friends have a stated goal to see 9,000 dogs and cats adopted between Friday, Nov. 25 and Monday, Nov. 28 to curb the level of euthanasia.

"During one of the busiest shopping times of the year, Zappos encourages customers to spread holiday cheer and take the time to make a difference in the life of an animal by providing a dog or cat with a forever home," officials said.

“We’re excited to partner with Zappos for the second year in a row on this holiday promotion,” said Gregory Castle, co-founder and CEO of Best Friends Animal Society. “Every animal that finds a permanent loving home helps us to get one step closer to Save Them All.”

Those participating in the effort who wish to adopt an animal can follow the adoption excitement, with the hashtag #Pawlidayz on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To adopt an animal this holiday season stop by Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter or visit wilcopets.org. To learn more about the campaign, please visit Zappos.com/Pets. To find out more about Best Friends Animal Society visit www.BestFriends.org/. To learn more about Zappos and the company’s new loyalty program, Zappos Rewards, visit http://www.zappos.com/.

“As more families and businesses are choosing to spend time with each other during the Thanksgiving holidays, it is a perfect time to bring home your family’s new furry friend,” Cheryl Schneider, Animal Services Director of Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter, said. “We strive to be a light of hope for the animals at the shelter. We are incredibly grateful and thankful to Zappos, Best Friends Animal Society, and our community – who help us make life saving possible.”

The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter is the only shelter solely devoted to the lost and abandoned animals of Williamson County and the cities of Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, and Hutto, city officials said. It provides a safe environment for the lost, abandoned, and homeless animals of these jurisdictions.

"Our vision is to save every healthy and behaviorally sound companion animal and to place each animal in a loving home," animal shelter officials said.

The shelter is located at 1855 SE Inner Loop in Georgetown. The hours of operation are Monday through Friday from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The telephone number is (512) 943-3322.

Zappos.com was established in 1999, and is now the leading destination in online apparel and footwear sales, according to company officials. The company counts in its inventory millions of products from more than 1,000 clothing and shoe brands.

Best Friends Animal Society is the only national animal welfare organization dedicated exclusively to ending the killing of dogs and cats in America's shelters, according to provided information. A leader in the no-kill movement, Best Friends runs the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals, adoption centers and spay and neuter facilities in Los Angeles and Salt Lake City as well as lifesaving programs in Atlanta and New York City along with partnership with more than 1,600 rescue groups and shelters across the country, officials said.

Since its founding in 1984, Best Friends has helped reduce the number of animals killed in American shelters from 17 million per year to an estimated 4 million. By continuing to build effective initiatives that reduce the number of animals entering shelters and increase the number who find homes, Best Friends and its nationwide network of members and partners are working to Save Them All®. To become a fan of Best Friends Animal Society on Facebook go to: http://www.facebook.com/bestfriendsanimalsociety Follow Best Friends on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bestfriends.

>>> Photo credit: Sally Meyer via WikiMedia Commons