Pets comfort, listen and give unconditional love.
"She would sleep with me at night, she would always cuddle me," said Lynn Shenk.
Two years ago, Shenk fell in love when she adopted a new kitten named Trina.
“She was three months old.”
Sadly, just days after coming home, the tortoiseshell cat tested positive for feline leukemia.
"After spending a week with her I was in love, I couldn't let her go," Shenk said.
Trina made it five-days past her second birthday before the illness took her life. That was back in April.
"But I have a lot of love to give, and I’m ready to give it to another kitten," said Shenk.
That's the reason she came to the Maryland SPCA Friday.
The shelter currently has more than 250 cats and kittens in its care. Summer is what's known as kitten season.
"We just get hit very hard with small kittens that need homes immediately, basically so they can get out of the shelter and grow up healthy and happy in a home," said MD SPCA Director of Operations, Nichole Miller.
A critical time, which is why you can take a new furry friend home for free.
The Maryland 2,000 adoption event kicks off Saturday and runs through the month of July.
"They're already spayed and neutered, they have their first vaccinations at least, sometimes more, they've had their intake exams and they're ready to go home," Miller said.
The goal is to get at least 2,000 felines out of 17 shelters across the state.
Make that at least 1,999. Shenk found a tortie kitten during her visit.
"I'm so excited to take her home, I’m so excited, she's purring like crazy and she's gonna be such a good addition," she said.
Love at first sight, and also saving some green.
"It is so awesome to be able to save money and live," Shenk said.
If you want to take a cat or kitten home while the adoption fees are waived you still have to go through the normal adoption process, including applying and being screened. Make sure you check the website of a participating shelter to find out more information.
The following shelters are participating:
• Animal Welfare League of Queen Anne’s County
• Anne Arundel County Animal Control
• Baltimore County Animal Services
• Baltimore County Humane Society
• BARCS
• Caroline County Humane Society
• Cecil County Animal Services
• City of College Park Animal Control
• Frederick County Div. of Animal Control & Pet Adoption
• Howard County Animal Control & Adoption Center
• Humane Society of Carroll County
• Humane Society of Harford County
• Humane Society of Washington County
• Maryland SPCA
• Talbot Humane Society
• Tri County Animal Shelter
• Prince George's County Animal Services Division
