While many professional sports teams are playing in empty stadiums due to COVID-19, their fans are still finding ways to support them. One animal rescue organization looked at the situation and realized it was actually a golden opportunity.
Typically, pets aren't allowed to attend NBA games, but since the stands can only be filled virtually right now, Best Friends Animal Society decided to have some of their adoptable animals watch the game "courtside" so they could find their forever homes!
The organization picked 28 dogs and 2 cats to feature during the game. Whenever the camera panned the "audience," everyone watching was able to see several seats "filled" by foster parents and their sweet adoptable pets.
Not only was it adorable, but it has also been incredibly successful! Within 48 hours, a few pets had already been adopted and several others had families inquiring about them.
"Now is a great time to have a pet in your home as people are working at home, to have a buddy to watch an NBA game with, or just to be your companion in life and everything that you do," said Valerie Dorian, Best Friends Animal Society's chief development officer.
She later explained that the courtside promo was only partially about adoption. They also wanted to emphasize the importance of fostering. For every pet taken in as a foster, one more spot opens up in a shelter so another animal can find a temporary home.
Samantha Bell, one of their foster parents, was thrilled to see the event take place. "Sports and animal rescue don’t usually go hand in hand, so I just think it’s a great way to bring a whole new audience into animal rescue," she said. "I hope it gets us a bunch of new fosters and a bunch of new homes for these sweet animals."
We're so excited to see these cuties find the place where they belong! If you're interested in participating, you can learn more about their adoptable pets here.
Check out the unique audience in the video below, and share this story to encourage your friends to bring home an animal of their own.
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