Rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters are waiting at Dakin Humane Society until they find homes, but hopefully they won’t have to wait much longer.
To incentivize the adoption of small animals in particular, Dakin is reducing their adoption fees by 50 percent through Sunday at both its Leverett and Springfield locations.
The organization defines small animals as rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, ferrets, mice, rats and birds, according to a Dakin press release. It includes any animal in Dakin’s care that is not a dog/puppy or a cat/kitten.
According to the release, recent large intakes of animals have strained resources at the facilities, and the reduced adoption fees will hopefully interest people in adopting a pet.
“Just about 10 days ago, we were struggling with a large rabbit population, and we still have plenty of them with us,” said Dakin’s Director of Development and Marketing Stacey Price. “More smalls have arrived since, and while we’re working with some partner shelters to move some animals there, we still have plenty of them in our care right now who are seeking homes.
“We hope that people will consider adopting one or more of our smalls,” Price continued. “Many of these species are surprisingly interactive and could be terrific pets.”
Dakin, a nonprofit that relies on contributions from individuals and businesses, treats and fosters more than 20,000 animals each year and has performed more than 87,000 spay/neuter surgeries since 2009, making it New England’s largest spay/neuter provider.
The open hours at the Leverett adoption center are 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The hours in Springfield are 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday only.
An up-to-the-minute listing of animals available at both locations can be seen at bit.ly/2GIZwdP. Adoption fees are listed at bit.ly/1RdJOrV.