DAPHNE - The Haven and Daphne Animal Shelter will offer fee waivers on all cat adoptions during the month of October to combat overcrowding in the shelters and place as many cats as possible into good homes.

While adopters will still be subject to a screening process to ensure the welfare of the animal, shelter directors hope that the increased incentive to adopt will help prevent the euthanasia that will occur if homes are not found.

For every cat that is adopted from Daphne Animal Shelter, a space will open up to give another cat time to find a home. Every cat adopted from The Haven will free a cage that will be filled immediately by a cat from a Baldwin County shelter that might otherwise be euthanized simply because there is no room to house her.

Shelters in Baldwin County have successfully reduced healthy deaths by more than 60 percent over the past four years, but still 560 animals have been euthanized this year because of overcrowding. While this fee waiver will reduce much-needed revenue at the shelters, the primary objective for these shelters is to save lives.

According to Haven executive director Michael Graham, other fee waivers programs have been successful in shelters in the past. “The important thing is that we will still maintain the same standards for adoption,” said Graham. “As opposed to other free-to-good home cats, these animals will be vaccinated, micro-chipped and spayed or neutered. This will ensure the health of the cat and prevent an unaltered cat from being released into the community.”

For more information about this “Feline Fest” promotion or to view animals available for adoption, please visit The Haven’s Web site at www.havenforanimals.org or call (251) 929-3980. Daphne Animal Shelter can be contacted at (251) 621-2831.