JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Mega Pet Adoption events that first began in Jacksonville in 2011 are making a return after a four-year hiatus with new, exciting changes.
The adoptions will now take place statewide with the goal of saving 5,000 dogs and cats in Florida.
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The Mega Pet Adoption Event is returning -- and expanding -- with help from a Petco Love grant and support from BOBS From Skechers.
“Petco Love is committed to creating a world where every shelter pet finds a loving family, and no pet is unnecessarily euthanized,” said Petco Love president Susanne Kogut. “We are proud to partner with Jacksonville Humane Society and 50 organizations across the state to make an impact on so many pets and pet parents’ lives through adoption.”
Adoptions at 47 shelter locations, including 18 select Petco stores, in 32 counties will be waived for three days for thousands of animals.
Jacksonville’s Mega event will now be at The Avenues Mall, where families looking to adopt a dog or cat can pick from hundreds all in one place.
The Jacksonville Humane Society (JHS), Animal Care & Protective Services (ACPS), Nassau County Animal Services (NCAS) and Clay County Animal Services (CCAS) will be in attendance on Friday and Saturday. Each shelter will also operate during normal business hours for adoptions.
Jacksonville was a pilot community for events of this size. The first Mega adoption event was held in July 2012 at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds and found homes for 945 animals. The events continued at the Fairgrounds until October 2019 with the hope of returning in 2020.
Then COVID-19 hit and large-scale events everywhere came to an end for a while, including the local Mega events.
Now, in 2023, the events are returning to the First Coast and expanding throughout Florida to save even more pets than ever before, JHS said.
“We are excited and thankful to Petco Love for helping us re-launch the Mega event adoption concept while taking it one step further to involve the entire state,” said JHS CEO Denise Deisler. “The goal is for 5,000 dogs and cats to find new, loving homes in Florida and together, we can make that possible!”
All adoptions are free for this promotion, additional fees or exclusions may apply.
In Duval County, pets will be available at the following locations:
- The Avenues Mall: 10300 Southside Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32256,
- 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday and Saturday (Dogs and cats)
- The Jacksonville Humane Society: 8464 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32216
- 12-7 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (Dogs and cats)
- Animal Care & Protective Services: 2020 Forest Street, Jacksonville, FL 32204
- 12-7 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (Dogs and cats)
- Petco: 950 Marsh Landing Pkwy #145, Jacksonville, FL 32250,
- 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday (Cats and kittens only)
- Petco: 11900 Atlantic Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32225
- 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday (Cats and kittens only)
Shelters in counties throughout Northeast Florida, including Alachua, Clay, Columbia, Flagler and Nassau are also participating.
For more information, follow @MegaAdoptFlorida on social media and visit megaadoptflorida.com for a complete list of all participating locations.