Black Friday Adopt-A-Thon moving to shelter HQ

LACONIA — The Friday after Thanksgiving has turned into a big deal for the New Hampshire Humane Society, when a month’s worth of animals are adopted. It’s the Black Friday Adopt-A-Thon, and the longtime tradition is continuing this Friday and Saturday, Nov. 23 and 24 — but with one important difference: the location.

“It’s always been held at the Belknap Mall. We decided to hold it here instead,” said Karen Bald, finance director for the nonprofit Humane Society.

Much of the staff is new to the Humane Society this year, so this will be their first Adopt-A-Thon. The transport involved in holding the event at an offsite location also can be stressful for the animals, so the shelter is holding the event at its home, 1305 Meredith Center Road in Laconia.

Black Friday is for the dogs. People who want to adopt a dog should come between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Friday to meet more than 30 available dogs and fill out an application.

“It’s not first-come-first-served,” said Bald. The staff will review applications for each animal to pick out the best match for the pet.

On Saturday, it’s all about the cats and kittens. There will be more than 50 felines available for adoption. Again, the hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

People who are interested in applying should bring all family members, including a dog, if they have one. They should initially leave the dog in the car, so they can be sure that the potential adoptee gets along with everyone. If they’re renting, they should also provide proof that the landlord will allow pets.

The price to adopt a puppy is $395; $325 for adult dogs; $135 for kittens; and $95 for cats. Those fees include spaying and neutering, vaccines, microchipping and the Humane Society’s assurance that they’re in good overall health.

“It’s actually a very good deal, and you know that the veterinarian has already looked at it,” Bald said.

The Adopt-A-Thon has become the Humane Society’s largest adoption event, and by a long shot. Bald said that a good week would see four or five dogs adopted. This weekend, nearly all of the 30 dogs and 50 cats will find a new home.

To meet that demand, the Humane Society brought in vans of animals last week — dogs and cats that were transported from southern states where they faced the likely fate of euthanasia due to overcrowding at the shelters. The dogs are from South Carolina and Arkansas; the cats came from Georgia and Louisiana.

“Our annual Adopt-A-Thon is a hallmark event that our community has come to anticipate, love and greatly support," said Tony Matos, board president of the New Hampshire Humane Society. “As a mission-driven organization, we are grateful to be able to bring puppies, kittens and adult pets from miles and miles away to New England where they will find a new home just in time for the holidays.”

Wrap-A-Thon

Already have enough mouths to feed this holiday season? There’s another way to support the New Hampshire Humane Society on Friday. The Whiskey Barrel music club in downtown Laconia is holding a “wrap-a-thon,” where shoppers can bring their Black Friday finds from 4-8 p.m. There, they will find a team of volunteers who will wrap the gifts in exchange for a donation.