By Janet McAfee
If you are out shopping at the Gardens in Palm Desert’s lovely El Paseo district on Friday, March 25, between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm you may greeted by a sweet pup or a purring cat. The Gardens on El Paseo and El Paseo Village are teaming up with the Bianca Rae Foundation to host the first ever “The Gardens to the Rescue” adoption event. Over 15 retailers in the area will host adoptable dogs and cats from local animal shelters and rescues for patrons to meet and hopefully adopt. The live entertainment at this beautiful venue, ensure it will be a fun and festive event.
Come out and shop, enjoy the festivities, and meet some fabulous animals. There will be raffle prizes from The Gardens stores and restaurants with 100% of the proceeds benefitting The Bianca Rae Foundation and the Humane Society of the Desert. The Humane Society of the Desert, one of the largest animal sanctuaries in California, also operates the state of the art Animal Hospital of Desert Hot Springs, which provides lower cost spay and neutering. The Bianca Rae Foundation implements programs to assist disadvantaged children and homeless animals.
What are some of the reasons for bringing shelter dogs and cats to off-site adoption events?
- Less than 20% of people seeking a new pet will get one directly from an animal shelter.
- These events allow adopters to see that approximately 30% of the animals in public shelters are pure breeds.
- Showcasing adoptable animals in beautiful retail settings exhibits them as the wonderful animals they truly are.
- Adoption counselors are on hand to share important information about each pet and offer helpful training advice.
- People who are not seeking a second or third pet may “fall in love” after an unplanned but fabulous meeting with a rescue animal.
Are adoptions at public off-site venues “impulse adoptions” that will result in returned animals? Not according to market research conducted by Bardsley & Neidhart reported in the Journal of Animal Science which discovered that the retention rate for animals adopted at off-site locations is the same as that of animals adopted from shelters.
Bianca Rae, founder of the Bianca Rae Foundation and KESQ News anchor, explains, “Our mission is to get homeless pets out of shelters and into loving homes. It is so important for people to get to see these animals in an environment that lets them be comfortable and show their purest self. That is why off-site adoption events are crucial to increasing the adoption rate for homeless animals.”
Participating animal welfare groups are The Humane Society of the Desert, Animal Samaritans, Loving All Animals, Coachella Valley Animal Campus, Rescue Warrior, Living Free, and the Palm Springs Animal Shelter. The “Gardens to the Rescue” event helps these organizations share their dream and dedication of saving lives with our community.
A complete list of participating stores will be available at the main event table located near the fountain on El Paseo between Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Company. For additional information about the event, contact (760) 862-1990.
Partnerships between local businesses and rescue animals are a win-win for everyone. They are good public relations for businesses in our “pet loving” community. The organizations raise needed funds and attract volunteers. The homeless animals are the biggest winners of all when this exposure gets them adopted. Let’s get these animals into wonderful homes!
Jmcafee7@verizon.net
