Lucky in Love

The “Lucky In Love” Adoption Event at Salt Lake County Animal Services this past weekend was not only a ton of fun, but a great success as well! By the end of the weekend, 38 cats and 34 dogs had been adopted!

It always amazes me how choosing a fun theme for just a single weekend can have such an amazing impact on an adoption event.

With just a few lucky shamrock bandanas, an army of energetic volunteers, and an equally enthusiastic shelter and rescue staff, this event went off with great style! Kudos to Amber Randall, No More Homeless Pets in Utah’s Shelter Outreach Coordinator, and to Kristiina Stromness, Volunteer Coordinator at NMHPU, for assembling such a great group of volunteers to prepare all of Salt Lake County Animal Services’ cats and dogs for this weekend! An informational cage card, a bath or brushing, and a smiling human face to answer a potential adopter’s questions goes a long way.

On Thursday afternoon, I stumbled into Salt Lake County Animals Services as a happy staff helper, with not much of an idea of what had been prepared or what to expect. My first surprise was an auditorium FULL of volunteers, who had already assembled almost every cat tower needed to showcase adoptable cats for the weekend! (and that’s not an easy job-those towers are beat up, heavy, and often held together by a few zip ties!) I was so impressed.

Friday’s kick off to the weekend’s event was well-represented, with a special media spotlight with the

Salt Lake County Mayor, and a very proud, grinning from ear to ear, Salt Lake County Animal Services staff. This was the first time an adoption event I’ve attended had a start like that! Thanks, Mayor Corroon.

Throughout the weekend, I felt like I was floating through a dream; so many people coming in and out the doors, so many volunteers willing to help and talking to people and cleaning up litter boxes without even being asked, and keeping dogs busy with toys and walks!

One of my favorite things about these events is that every volunteer seems to pick an animal (or two,

or five) that they really connect with; and a new determination is kindled to find that one (or two, or five) dogs or cats a home during the weekend’s event. The excitement and passion at this opportunity to be the animals’ advocate is contagious, and it’s my favorite part about working with Salt Lake County Animal Services to help find shelter animals new homes in a new and fun way!


-Erin Olsen, Adoptions Coordinator