Adopt-a-Thon Finds Homes for Hundreds of Pets Lost in Tornado

By Emmet Sullivan


More than 700 dogs and cats left homeless after the devastating tornado in Joplin, Mo., on May 22, 2011, can sleep easier now -- they have all found new families. 

Animal lovers from 24 states traveled to Joplin last weekend for a two-day Adopt-a-Thon organized by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. By Sunday afternoon, 745 dogs and cats had been adopted.

"We are completely floored by the amazing outpouring of support," said Joplin native Tim Rickey, the senior director of field investigations for the ASPCA.

When the tornado hit, Rickey immediately got in touch with the local Humane Society. “A lot of times, local agencies will reach out to us because they don’t have the resources to handle the influx of animals, which is exactly what the Joplin Humane Society was facing. We always respond if we’re invited to help,” said Anita Edson, the senior director of communications at the ASPCA.

Rickey’s team was on the ground the next day, setting up an emergency shelter for the 1,300 homeless pets found in the area.

“We had 400 responders from animal welfare agencies coast to coast, not including the local Joplin Humane Society volunteers,” Edson said. “It was a huge collaborative effort.”

After a month-long grassroots campaign, including flyers and public service announcements, they were able to reunite 500 pets with their owners.

The remaining animals, as well as some from nearby shelters, were all spayed/neutered, vaccinated and microchipped leading up to the big event. The ASPCA waived normal adoption fees as well.

After two days, almost every animal found a home, and the ones too young or injured will become available for adoption in the coming weeks.

“Thanks to the generosity of these wonderful people, the animals left homeless by last month's tornado are sleeping in new beds tonight,” Rickey said.

If you live in a potential disaster area, or want to prepare in case of emergency, the ASPCA urges you to have your dog microchipped at a local shelter or vet’s office. Since collars and tags can slip off, the chip, no larger than a grain of rice and implanted between the shoulder blades, is the easiest way to track owners down.

Edson also suggests listing your cell phone on all tags, collars and chips. In the event of a tornado or other disaster, house phones may become unavailable.