The Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter is hosting a Valentine’s Day promotion this month to support its animals.
The fundraiser, called Love Letters, allows people to “adopt” an envelope and help an animal. When users visit the shelter’s website, they can click on an envelope that has a number on it corresponding to a donation amount.
Katie Elliott, the shelter’s operations manager, said the Valentine’s Day promotion is one of several the shelter does throughout the year. Elliot said this one is fun for the shelter and offers “something different” to promote the animals.
The goal for the fundraiser is $30,000, and as of late Valentine’s Day, the shelter had raised $1,515 on its website.
The shelter’s events give “people the opportunity to get to know the animals,” Brookelyn Lake, a sophomore majoring in human development and family studies, wrote in a text message. She added that events offer a chance to support the shelter for people who can’t adopt an animal.
The shelter recently completed another adoption event, during which it partnered with the North Shore Animal League to waive adoption fees for a week.
Paula Vega, an adoption counselor at the shelter, said that several dogs were adopted during that week.
“It really helped us to open up our cages; we definitely need more adoption,” Vega said. “A lot of people don’t realize that we’re the only shelter here in Tuscaloosa.”
The shelter offers a foster program with a few requirements, one of which is living in Tuscaloosa County.
Vega encourages the community to help in the shelter, whether through fostering or volunteering.
“It basically opens up a kennel for another animal that’s coming in as a stray to come in and use that spot,” Vega said.
She added that fostering “helps the dog out to be in a different environment, and we can see how they are. If that person has other animals, the potential adopters or whoever’s interested about those little things about the animal can know.”
To participate in the Love Letters fundraiser, visit the Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter website. Prospective donors have until late March to contribute.
