(MASS APPEAL) – Today Mass Appeal’s Patrick Berry is live from Dakin Humane Society in Springfield for Clear the Shelters! NBCUniversal Local is teaming up with hundreds of shelters across the country to host this and encourage adoptions! More than 860K pets have found their forever homes since 2015, and we’re hoping a few more will today.

Dakin Humane Society, located in Springfield, MA, delivers effective, innovative services that improve the lives of animals in need and the people who care about them.  In a typical year, the organization shelters, treats and fosters more than 20,000 animals and has performed over 100,000 spay/neuter surgeries since 2009, making it New England’s largest spay/neuter provider.  Dakin’s Pet Health Center, a non-emergency veterinary resource for pet dogs and cats, opened in 2022 and has treated more than 2,500 pets.  

Dakin is a local non-profit organization that relies solely on contributions from individuals and businesses that care about animals to bring its services to the community.

2023 has been an extraordinary year for Dakin, they have seen such an increase in animals coming into the shelter. There are several factors that contributed to this increase including a hiatus in spay/nuetur surgery due to the pandemic resulting in a large local animal population, the economy, housing issues and so much more. We spoke with Meg Talbert, Executive Director of Dakin Humane Society to learn more.

To celebrate Clear the Shelters, Dakin is taking 50% off all adoption fees now through August 31!

We all want to be responsible pet owners, and part of that is making sure that they are spayed and neutered once they’re of age. I am joined by Dr. Rebecca Carroll, medical director with Dakin to discuss this importance and what resources are available to you.

Getting kids involved with fundraising is a great way to introduce them to philanthropy and being community-minded. Joining me now is Lee Chambers, Media Relations and Development Specialist, to share some Fun-draising ideas to help kids get involved in a good cause.

Just as our needs change as we age, so do the needs of our pets. I am back now with Dr. Rebecca Caroll, Medical Director as Dakin Humane Society, to talk about the special care our pets may need as they get older.

How you can help Dakin:

  • Adopt – There are so many pets who need homes, and if you’re thinking about adding a new friend to your family, you can make a big difference when you bring home a shelter pet (you end up helping 2 pets; the one you bring home, and the one waiting to be able to enter the shelter for help)
  • Foster – Animals who know the comfort of a foster home before adoption typically have an easier, healthier adjustment period to their new homes. In the past couple of years we’ve seen about 63-64% of our animals enter a foster home, as opposed to 29% just three years ago
  • Donate – Consider making a gift to Dakin at dakinhumane.org.  You could find a monthly amount that works for you and become a Guardian donor.  Or you can shop Dakin’s Wish Lists online, or if you have young kids, you can inspire them to organize a fundraiser (and we’ll have some ideas about that coming up today). With more pets in our care, and the cost of medications and supplies constantly increasing, all gifts are greatly appreciated.

For more information on how you can help Dakin Humane Society, visit dakinhumane.org.

For more information on NBCUniversal’s Annual Nationwide Pet Adoption & Donation Campaign visit  ClearTheShelters.com