Chickamauga, GA (November 28, 2025) – The Walker County Animal Shelter (WCAS) will partner with the BISSELL Pet Foundation, a national animal welfare organization dedicated to ending pet homelessness, to bring holiday hope to homeless pets. Walker County’s shelter is one of 300 locations across the country participating in the Empty the Shelters® – Holiday Hope reduced-fee adoption event, taking place December 1–15, 2025.

WCAS, located at 5488 N. Marble Top Road near Chickamauga, will waive adoption fees for adult dogs and cats (over 4 months old) and offer $25 adoption fees on puppies and kittens (under 4 months old) during the campaign. The free or reduced adoption fees are made possible thanks to sponsorship by the BISSELL Pet Foundation.

“This is the last Empty the Shelters® event of the year, and we are truly hopeful many of our animals will find a loving home for the holidays,” said Melissa Smith, Shelter Director. “When you adopt from our shelter, you save two lives – the life of the pet you bring home and the life of the next animal who enters our care because of the emptied kennel. Over this 15-day event, we hope to place at least 40 animals into homes. We encourage everyone to spread the word, visit the shelter and adopt.”

WCAS is participating in its fourth Empty the Shelters® event of the year and remains grateful to be part of this nationwide campaign. The shelter has placed 149 animals in loving homes because of the program’s continued support. Each event strengthens the shelter’s impact in the community and reflects the ongoing success of this partnership.

• Visit walkercountyga.gov/residents/animal-shelter to see all of the available pets
• Drop by the shelter between 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday
• Appointments to adopt are not required

“This year has placed enormous pressure on shelters across the country, as more families face financial hardship and housing changes that force them to surrender beloved pets,” said Cathy Bissell, Founder of BISSELL Pet Foundation. “If you’re considering adding a pet to your family, adoption has so many benefits. Shelters have desirable pets of every size and age. Many have lived in homes, are house-trained, are already spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and ready to become part of your family for a fraction of the cost of buying from a breeder or pet store. Our Empty the Shelters Holiday Hope event is a chance for all of us to end the year by giving shelter pets what they deserve most – a loving home.”

Empty the Shelters is the nation’s largest funded adoption event and has helped more than 374,000 pets find homes across the U.S. and Canada since its inception in 2016. For more information on the program, visit www.bissellpetfoundation.org/empty-the-shelters.