Adopt a dog or cat for $10 at the ACCT’s emergency shelter sale

Over in Maple Glen, Kimberly and Jeff Maund are smitten. So are their two dogs — Augie, a coonhound, and Winston, a Chihuahua mix.

The source of their joy? Kali, a big-eared, soft-eyed young German shepherd they adopted Sunday from ACCT Philly. The Maunds had heard that the city’s only open-intake animal shelter was overflowing. So Kimberly pulled up ACCT’s website, saw a dog listed as Lady Bug, and the couple drove to meet her. It was love at first sight.

“She is such a gem,” said Kimberly Maund, who, like her husband, is retired from the U.S. Air Force. “I was willing to pay whatever.”

As it turns out, their adoption fee was only $10.

For a limited time, you, too, can buy a bunch of tail wagging, facing-licking love that will last for years for just a tenner.

Due to a severe overcapacity crisis, and thanks to the funding of the Bissell Pet Foundation, ACCT Philly has been holding an emergency shelter sale — $10 a dog.

Since the promotion began on March 11, ACCT has adopted out 92 dogs, including 13 who were in foster care, according to executive director Sarah Barnett. But the shelter has also taken in 198 more dogs in that same time.

The promotion also applies to cats; it has helped 93 of them find homes. The timing is good. Since kitten season is about to start, ACCT is expecting an influx of felines. In the past week alone, two evictions brought 86 cats and kittens into ACCT’s care.

Available space is a constant life and death issue at an organization that has seen its dog intake increase by 35% from 2022 to 2024. But in the last couple weeks matters got worse.

“Every time we think we’re beyond capacity, we get even more beyond capacity,” said Barnett. And ACCT has held lots of promotions in the past ease its chronic overpopulation and get pets adopted.

But recently she said, they had gotten well-past the point that is healthy for the dogs, physically or emotionally. While 110 to 120 dogs is functional, Barnett said once the canine population exceeds even 125, “everybody gets sick.” In addition, when the shelter is operating at that level overcapacity, even really good dogs can develop behavioral problems that may render them unadoptable.

On March 11, the shelter already had about 145 dogs when it received a call about an eviction involving 10 more — many of them large dogs, in the 80- to 90-pound range. Some were at risk of being euthanized, but six were healthy.

“They were great dogs, giant block heads. They were very sweet, very fearful, but it just put us way over the edge,” Barnett said. “So that’s why we reached out to the Bissell Pet Foundation.”

Bissell came through. So for the past week, continuing through March 30, ACCT, which already has low adoption fees, has love for sale at a rock bottom price.

ACCT, however, is never short of other candidates. Some of the many still available include Baked Beans, a four-year-old large gentleman with floppy ears and soulful eyes who loves to play. Or Bluey, a sweet, goofy guy who loves puzzle toys, walks and finding a way to fit in your lap.

ACCT has other new initiatives, too. The Irving and Phyllis Millstein Foundation, another major animal welfare supporter, is funding a limited number of free spay-neuter surgeries for owned dogs over 30 pounds. In addition, the foundation, which has also paid for initiatives like vaccination clinics, a radiology suite and a laundry room renovation now in progress, gave ACCT money for supply kits for some of its dog and cat fosters, as well as money to support volunteers helping to transport ACCT animals.

Meanwhile back in Maple Glen, the Maunds have been busy spoiling their new dog. Kali aka Lady Bug is getting to sleep in their bed along with Winston the Chihuahua — just for now of course, swears Kimberly — so she gets to feel safe and secure.

A few years ago, the couple had another German Shepherd who died. Her name was Lady. When Kimberly saw this shepherd on the ACCT website and noted it was named Lady Bug, it seemed like fate had a hand.

“She is fitting right into the household,” said Kimberly, who works for the defense department. Husband Jeff is a court officer in Allentown. “She is just a love bug. She is absolutely amazing.”

A stray in her recent past, Kali aka Lady Bug has already learned her new name, walks nicely on a leash, and knows “stay” and “sit.”

The Maunds like the idea that adopting Kali helped save other dogs. But they especially love Kali.

Said Kimberly: “Best $10 ever spent.”