Plenty of dogs, cats at shelter in need of homes

PUHI — Carmen, a 2-year-old black cat, has been living at the Kauai Humane Society for eight months.

“She likes to talk to you,” said Laura Lee, development director of KHS.

But people tend to pass right by her because of her color, Lee said.

“Black cats and black dogs are very hard to adopt out. It’s the superstitious thing,” she said.

But this weekend, Carmen will have a better chance at finding a family during the second Black Friday free adoption event.

Zappos.com, an online shoe store, will be covering the adoption fee for any animal that goes through the doors Friday to Monday. New owners will only have to pay the license fee, which is $17 for two years.

“But we’re asking new owners to match the adoption fee in donations,” Lee said. “The money goes back to the shelter.”

Last year, 22 animals were adopted over the Black Friday weekend.

Lee hopes for similar success this year.

Cat adoptions cost anywhere between $25 and $60. Dog adoptions cost between $60 and $100.

The inventory at KHS includes nine dogs, 26 cats and 14 kittens.

“Cats live comfortably in their cat condos, but it’d be nice for them to sit on a lap or on someone’s shoulder,” Lee said. “They need a second chance and all deserve a loving home.”

“Some of them were kittens when they came here, so they’ve lived their entire lives here,” Lee said.

But the most heart-wrenching is when an older cat is brought to the shelter because their owner can no longer take care of them.

“They’ve only been with one person their whole life, and they get left behind,” she said.

The Black Friday event started last year when KHS was approached by Best Friends Animal Society, a nonprofit organization that works to put a stop to no-kill shelters through community partnerships.

The shelter is closed Sunday, but those interested in adopting cats can go to Petco.