LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — Animal shelters across Michigan are lowering adoption fees in December as part of the Empty the Shelters – Holiday Hope event, organized by the BISSELL Pet Foundation. The event will run from Dec. 1-17, featuring reduced adoption fees at 36 shelters in Michigan and more than 400 organizations nationwide.

Adoptive families will pay only up to $50 to welcome a pet into their home, with the cost covering services such as vaccinations, microchipping, and spaying or neutering, according to the BISSELL Pet Foundation.

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“It has been an incredibly challenging year for saving lives as our nation’s shelters continue to take in more pets than they are adopting out,” Cathy Bissell, founder of BISSELL Pet Foundation, told MLive.

Participating shelters in Michigan include:

• Big Lake Humane Society in Muskegon (dogs and cats)
• Harbor Humane Society in West Olive (dogs and cats)
• Heaven Can Wait Animal Haven in Norton Shores (cats only)
• Humane Society of West Michigan in Walker (dogs and cats)
• Ionia County Animal Shelter (dogs and cats)
• Jackson County Animal Shelter (dogs and cats)
• Kent County Animal Shelter in Grand Rapids (dogs and cats)
• SPCA of Southwest Michigan in Kalamazoo (dogs and cats)
• West Michigan SPCA Dba Faithful To Felines in Muskegon (cats only)

Since its launch in 2016, the Empty the Shelters initiative has facilitated the adoption of over 300,000 pets, according to BISSELL. Participating shelters are reimbursed for each adoption to help cover costs, making it easier for families to welcome a pet.

“Tens of thousands of shelter pets—of all breeds, ages, and personalities—desperately need homes. Empty the Shelters – Holiday Hope is more than an adoption event; it’s a lifeline for homeless pets,” Bissell said.