The Jacksonville Humane Society is partnering with Petco Love, a national nonprofit, and animal welfare groups across the state of Florida on a shared mission to find homes for 2,000 dogs and cats in animal shelters.
The event is called the Petco Love Florida MEGA Pet Adoption Event, and it will take place on June 27-29 in Petco pet care centers and local animal shelters throughout the state of Florida.
Jacksonville’s regional event is scheduled for Saturday, June 28, and Sunday, June 29, at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds located at 510 Fairground Place in downtown Jacksonville.
The event will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days and parking is free.
Adoption events occur throughout the year, but this one is taking place on a much larger scale with the hope that the impact and number of animals finding homes will increase as a result.
"We can’t wait to be back at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds and see families find their new best friends,” said Lawrence Nicolas, Jacksonville Humane Society CEO. “Summer is the busiest time of year for shelters nationwide, and this is a chance to change the lives of many dogs and cats.”
The Jacksonville Humane Society is not the only shelter taking part in the massive adoption event, as hundreds of dogs and cats will be available for adoption from eleven different local shelters, including:
To help promote adoption even more, all adoption fees will be waived during this weekend.
Helping make the event possible is the support of the Jacksonville Humane Society’s Florida Leaders in Lifesaving program, which seeks to unite Florida’s shelters and clinics in a statewide mission to inspire collaboration.
During the 2024 event, 1,949 pets across Florida found new homes, and this year the goal has been raised to surpass that total with 46 shelters participating across 34 counties.
“There is nothing more powerful than the moment a shelter pet meets their new family and that’s the heart of this incredible statewide event,” Petco Love president Susanne Kogut said. “By uniting animal welfare organizations across Florida, we’re not only finding homes for pets, we’re creating thousands of new beginnings filled with hope, healing, and unconditional love. That’s the power of community, and that’s the power of love.”
Each pet will be vaccinated according to age requirements and spayed or neutered before adoption is complete, and all adoptions will also come with exclusive savings and benefits courtesy of Petco Love, but additional licensure fees may apply depending on the adopter’s residency.
“Petco Love has greatly supported Florida's lifesaving efforts for years, and we deeply appreciate their dedication to animal welfare,” Nicolas said. “We look forward to Floridians coming together to save lives."
Additionally, Dogs Playing for Life, a fellow nonprofit, will be hosting playgroups on site with dogs available from participating shelters at the Fairgrounds each day.
Both the Jacksonville Humane Society and Jacksonville Animal Care and Protective Services will be offering waived adoption fees at their locations during normal operating hours on Friday, June 27 as well to kickoff the weekend’s adoption promotion.
Information about the event is available by following @MegaAdoptFlorida on Facebook and Instagram, or by using #MegaAdoptFL on those respective social media platforms.
