Rescue Groups Plan Joint Adoption Fair

By SANDRA ECKSTEIN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sunday, March 22, 2009

Hundreds of Atlanta-area animals looking for a home will be at the Wills Park Equestrian Center on March 29 for one of the largest pet rescue fairs in the Southeast.

About 50 rescue groups will bring dogs, cats, horses, rabbits and more to the Animal Rescue Fair and Pet Adoption from noon to 5 p.m.

“We have rescue groups coming from all over, including Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee,” said Michele Williams, assistant coordinator for the event.

There also will be vendors, food and events for children, such as face painting. Admission is free.
Given the downturn in the economy, rescuers say there are more animals than ever being given up, so they’re hoping for a large number of adoptive families.

“The number of animals being dumped is epidemic right now,” said Paige O’Neill of Mostly Mutts, a Kennesaw dog rescue group. “And it’s not just irresponsible pet owners. It’s also good owners who are being forced to give up loved pets.”

Dale Thompson of Fancy Feline Rescue of the South said it will be bringing both purebred and mixed-breed cats, hoping to find adoptive homes as well as more volunteers.
And Thompson, like many rescuers, stressed the added value of getting a rescue dog or cat. Animals coming from responsible groups are healthy, spayed or neutered, have their shots and often are microchipped.

“Look at what it would cost to buy a purebred cat from a breeder and then look at our adoption price,” said Thompson, whose fees range from $100 to $200. “Plus, there’s the wonderful feeling of knowing you’ve saved two lives — that of your adopted cat and the one that will take its place at Fancy Feline Rescue of the South.”

The event, at 11915 Wills Road in Alpharetta, is sponsored by Save the Horses. For more information: www.arf.savethehorses.org.