National Adopt a Shelter Pet is usually celebrated April 30 to bring awareness to the thousands of perfectly good pets waiting for their forever homes in shelters across America. This event aims to reduce the ridiculous overcrowding in local shelters and find loving homes for so many dogs and cats just desperately needing a second chance at living the good life.
Shelter pets are not typically broken animals. In fact, they are usually spayed/neutered, vaccinated and in many cases trained and assessed for personalities to help find the perfect fit. These fur babies are some of the sweetest, most well-mannered furry friends one could even ask for and are just wanting t and waiting to give the right individual or family their love, time and unfailing devotion.
There are many local groups that offer special adoption events to help “Empty the Shelters.” In fact, on April 22, Pittsburg County Animal Shelter along with Nomad’s Animal Encounter and JP All American are hosting an event with 56 dogs that this is their last shot. These poor fur babies are literally sitting in shelters wondering why nobody has chosen them. They have been there way too long. Some are running out of time. They don’t need perfection. They don’t need fancy homes. They just need someone to step up and say I give a damn. They just need someone to say “You are mine now. I’ve got you.”
The Pittsburg County Animal Shelter is located at 1206 N. West St in McAlester. You can call them for more information at 918-423-7803 and you can go onto their social media pages to see all the beautiful fur babies waiting for you to just say yes. We aren’t talking about a 50 year commitment here folks like your marriage. We are talking about the rest of their life which might be 10-15 years if they are lucky. And if you adopt a senior dog it might only be 2-5 years. For goodness sakes we have car and house payments set up for that long and those cost you an arm and leg and they won’t even love you back like a fur baby will.
It’s sickening me that approximately 597,000 dogs and cats were euthanized in U.S. shelters in 2025 according to Shelter Animals Count. That’s ridiculous especially when all it takes is getting your animal fixed! Despite the fact that 5.8 million dogs and cats entered shelters last year, 2025 actually saw the biggest drop in euthanasia since 2020, with 4 million pets being rescued and adopted. And I can promise you there is nothing more rewarding than rescuing an animal from certain death. They know it and they will love you forever for it.
I have lived in the country most of my life and had so many animals dumped on my dirt roads. From the time I was five years old I learned the responsibility of taking care of my own pet. So if a fiveyear-old can take care of an animal surely you can. I say you because it is up to me and you. We have to be the ones who make a difference in our communities. That’s why when I moved to Muskogee and saw a problem with stray cats in my neighborhood I started a TNR program. I also help foster, rescue and rehome abandoned fur babies. My family alone from 2018 to now has rescued 63 cats and 35 dogs. That’s a total of 98 animals in 9 years.
That’s not the 96 rescued and rehomed at our local Eufaula pound through our volunteer rescue group Paws N Claws or the countless other animals we have helped other residents within our community that triples those numbers. My point is, my Paws partner and I have fulltime jobs too, but if we can find time in our busy schedules to save these poor souls, so can you.
It truly takes a village when it comes to rescue. Everyone has a role to play. Even if you absolutely can’t adopt or take on another pet, maybe you can donate to the local pet pantry we started last year to help those in need feed their fur babies, or maybe you can donate food to a local shelter. Maybe you can’t donate food but you can donate your time and volunteer at a shelter to help socialize the animals. Or maybe you can pay for an animal’s spay or neuter at a shelter or our local pound to help reduce the population of unwanted litters. Believe me, all these little acts of kindness add up and become something bigger than we are.
Just in two years’ time I have watched McIntosh County citizens step up to the plate to make a difference in their communities by helping Paws N Claws with all the pound animals going through our city pound. We have had citizens adopt, sponsor spaying or neutering, sponsor dog and cat food at the pantry, volunteer at the pantry and pound, and give back to their community in so many ways.
All we can say is THANK YOU and please KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK! We are making a difference every day! And I promise the good Lord above is watching and rewarding those who choose to make a difference in the lives of others.
Remember ADOPT; don’t shop!
