JOPLIN, Mo. —
“Joplin” is headed for New Mexico.
The terrier-mix puppy, named “Joplin” by his new owner, Gary Hallock, was one of hundreds of animals adopted Saturday during the Joplin Humane Society Animal Adoption Resource Center’s Adopt-A-Thon.
Thousands of people from 24 states attended the event. They adopted 210 dogs and 175 cats displaced by the May 22 storm.
Pets were adopted for no fee and had been spayed or neutered, microchipped and given up-to-date vaccines. Every time a pet was adopted, a volunteer rang a bell.
Hallock made the 16-hour drive to Joplin from Gallup, N.M., to assist friends impacted by the tornado and decided he also needed a new pet.
“We felt we needed to do something,” he said, holding the brown puppy in his arms.
Though the event was set to begin at 10 a.m., people began arriving as early as 5 a.m. and long lines quickly formed.
Tim Rickey, senior director with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said they expected a good turnout, but the estimated 2,000 people interested in adoption “far exceeded expectations.”
Melissa Wallis and her daughter, Kaylee, traveled from Vinita, Okla., to adopt a small dog because “Daddy finally said ‘yes,’” she said.
“We heard about all the pets in need of a good home, and they’ve been through enough,” she said.
Heather Brooks and her boyfriend made the trip from Warrensburg. She chose to name her boxer-mix puppy Chloe.
Popular names for adopted dogs included “Joplin,” “MoJo,” and “JoMo.” One was named “F-5.”
Cassie Lund, who lives in Joplin, adopted her fifth cat, a full-grown male.
“I’m a cat addict,” she said. “My husband told me ‘no,’ but I’m here anyway.”
Karen Aquino, executive director of the humane society, said she never dreamed that so many people wanted to adopt “tornado pets.”
Organizing the event, she said, has been challenging. ASPCA volunteers handed out water while people waited in the sun. Local police and volunteers orchestrated traffic and parking.
“Normally an adoption event this size would take us six months to plan,” she said. “We did it in a week and a half.”
Despite the work and the heat, she said the event is encouraging and makes up for the pain of 700 pets unable to go back with prestorm owners.
Local News
Related Photos
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Thousands of people lined up for the Joplin Humane Society’s pet adoption event on Saturday, looking to adopt animals displaced by the May 22 tornado. GLOBE | B.W. SHEPHERD
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