The Hall County Animal Shelter will introduce its new mobile adoption unit during the City of Gainesville’s Christmas on Green Street parade on Sunday, Dec. 7.
“We look forward to Christmas on Green Street each year, but this year is especially exciting for us, because we are decorating our new mobile adoption unit and lighting it up for all to see,” said Hall County Animal Shelter Manager Stephanie Maloch.
The shelter acquired the $80,000 custom-built trailer in April with funding from multiple grants provided by Petco Love, a national nonprofit that supports animal welfare efforts in Hall County and other areas. “We are extremely grateful for our partnership with Petco Love,” Maloch said. “Over the years, we have received several grants from the organization under the requirement that funds be used for lifesaving measures, and this new, state-of-the-art adoption unit will allow us to do just that.”
The 24-foot trailer can accommodate up to 53 animals and includes features such as stainless-steel interiors, insulation, a built-in generator for climate control, running water, and a drainage system. The design also includes an external adoption window so visitors can view adoptable pets without removing them from the trailer. “One of the best things about this new unit is the adoption window, which opens from the outside so that people can view our adoptable pets without us having to take them out of the trailer. This allows us to bring more pets, including cats, which we’ve never been able to do before, regardless of how many staff members and volunteers we have on site at an event,” Maloch added.
Adoptable animals will be available in the mobile unit during the parade beginning at 4 p.m. near downtown Gainesville. More information about event schedules and routes is available at Explore Gainesville online at exploregainesville.org.
Those interested in adopting can also browse available pets online or visit the shelter at 1688 Barber Road in Gainesville during regular hours Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
In December, all adoption fees will be reduced by half as part of two initiatives: participation in Bissell Pet Foundation’s “Empty the Shelter” event and its own “Santa Paws” program.
For further details about adoptions or questions regarding the new mobile unit or discounted fees, contact [email protected].
Enrollment data shows that Hall County schools saw a decrease of 1.9% in student numbers during the 2022-23 school year compared to previous years (https://www.gadoe.org/). The total enrollment was reported at 33,586 students (https://www.gadoe.org/), with white students comprising 36.5% of those enrolled (https://www.gadoe.org/).
