By Robert Sullivan

robert.sullivan@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — The Rowan County Animal Shelter will be hosting another month-long adoption event just a few months after hosting the first ever month-long event for the organization.

The adoption discount was approved by the Rowan County Board of Commissioners during their meeting on Monday. The discount has to go through the board because the reduction in adoption prices will cost the county. According to Animal Service’s request to the commissioners, the shelter generally provides 80 percent off its regular $80 adoption fee during their discount events, which results in a cost of $64 to the county due to the voucher for spaying or neutering that is provided.

The shelter held its first ever month-long adoption event in September. Previously, the county has authorized 20 days a year for adoption discounts, which the shelter used for single-day events spread throughout the year. Animal Services Director Maria Pannell said in the request that the single-day approach has sometimes caused imbalances in the shelter’s available space for animals.

“Because adoptions were spread more evenly across an entire month, this reduction in price allowed the shelter to have a better balance of animal population with kennel space, causing fewer animals to be at risk for euthanasia,” Pannell said in the request.

In past years, the shelter has averaged a total of 252 animals adopted in the month of December. At the cost of $64 per animal, the projected cost to the county would be $16,128 for the entire event.

The discount will be available throughout the entire month of December. The shelter is open for adoptions Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.