October is not just for last-minute costume shopping, it’s also Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month. We visited Morris Animal Refuge in Washington Square West to get some pet-centric Halloween inspiration and put a spotlight on dogs currently in need of loving homes.
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Founded in 1874 by Elizabeth Morris, the nonprofit bills itself as “America’s first animal shelter” and can accommodate about 20 dogs and 50 cats at a time. Development manager Liberty Britton explains that Morris receives a lot of animals from Southern states where euthanasia is more prevalent.
“We can usually find homes for puppies and little dogs in Philadelphia. The larger dogs are harder to place,” Britton says.
Britton herself fell in love with 4-year-old Nica, a rat terrier, when Nica arrived at the shelter from Georgia in 2016.
“No one had been able to get her out of her crate, but she immediately bonded to me. From that moment, she’s never left my side,” Britton says.
Events coordinator Sophie Samuel also found a match at Morris. She adopted 10-month-old Cashew, a terrier mix, last April, after he was abandoned in Fairmount Park, hit by a car and suffered a broken leg. Samuel first took in Cashew as a foster pet, and she says that the experience helped her appreciate the ripple effect of volunteering.
“When you foster one animal, you’re really saving two lives, because you’re making room in the shelter for another dog,” Samuel says.
All of the dogs at Morris are fully vaccinated, spayed/neutered and have been treated by a veterinarian. Find more information about fostering and adopting dogs here.
The shelter will host a Halloween Yappy Hour fundraiser with a pet costume contest on Saturday, Oct. 28.
Also, check out the new PetSmart Center City for Morris adoption events or to buy some of the costumes seen in these photos.