FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hawaiian Humane Society launches flash adoption special April 13 – 14, 2024

to encourage pet adoption and urges the public to foster dogs to alleviate urgent space constraints

FOR MORE INFO: https://hawaiianhumane.org/events/flash-adoption-special-2/

HONOLULU, HI (April 11, 2024) – As the shelter space crisis escalates with increasingly overcrowded

kennels, the Hawaiian Humane Society reached a critical point in capacity for dogs in need of care

this week and is calling on the community for their compassion and kōkua. With more than 250 dogs

currently available for adoption or waiting for space to open up on the adoption floor, the Hawaiian

Humane Society is launching an emergency flash adoption special beginning Saturday, April 13, 2024

to Sunday, April 14, 2024 at their Mōʻiliʻili Campus and Kosasa Family Campus at Hoʻopili, waiving all

adoption fees for adult dogs (seven months of age and older) in an effort to incentivize dog

adoption. For those not in a position to adopt, Hawaiian Humane is urging the public to participate

in Couch Crashers, a short-term foster program to allow adult dogs to stay in a temporary home

environment, which opens up kennel space in the shelter for animals in need of care.

There has been a recent surge of dogs brought in as strays or surrendered by owners who are no

longer able to provide for their care. Because of the unprecedented number of dogs in our care,

both of Hawaiian Humane’s Mōʻiliʻili Campus and Kosasa Family Campus at Hoʻopili are currently

over-capacity, which limits the ability to take in and help more animals in need.

Through the Couch Crashers foster program, members of the public may foster an adult dog for one

to two weeks. Couch Crashers is a critical tool for Hawaiian Humane to curb our rising shelter

population while also offering several benefits, including:

● With the shelter population at a record high, moving dogs off of our campuses and into

temporary homes helps our team provide optimal care for the additional animals who arrive

each day.

● Studies on dog behavior and health have shown that short-term foster programs like Couch

Crashers are especially beneficial for dogs, helping to reduce the stress and increased

cortisol levels common in a shelter environment. While Hawaiian Humane’s dedicated

animal care specialists and volunteers provide shelter pets with care and attention, moving

them into a loving home environment, even temporarily, profoundly improves their well-

being.

● The program also enables potential adopters to learn more about dogs they may be

interested in before making a lifelong commitment.

● The program eliminates barriers to pet fostering and adoption, ultimately making pet

ownership more attainable and accessible for all families.

To participate in Couch Crashers, the public is encouraged to visit Hawaiian Humane’s Mōʻiliʻili

Campus daily from 11 am to 6 pm, or the Kosasa Family Campus at Hoʻopili Wednesday through

Sunday from 11 am to 7 pm. Hawaiian Humane’s experienced adoptions representatives will work

with potential fosters to match them to the right foster dog for their home, lifestyle and family. Once

matched, Hawaiian Humane will provide the foster with all of the necessary supplies and, if needed,

veterinary care for the dog during their foster period. Once the fostering period is complete, fosters

are asked to complete a virtual report card about the dog, which helps Hawaiian Humane to match

these dogs with a permanent home that will best meet their needs.

For more information on the Couch Crashers program, visit HawaiianHumane.org/couch-crashers.

Hawaiian Humane also offers a number of resources to keep pets together with their families. While

economic conditions may make this challenging, the best place for pets is to remain with their

people.

• For those who need temporary assistance affording pet food, our Pet Food Bank is open at

the Ginny Tiu Community Spay/Neuter Center at our Mōʻiliʻili Campus every Tuesday and

Friday from 10 am to 1 pm, and at our Kosasa Family Campus at Hoʻopili on every

Wednesday and Sunday from 10 am to 1 pm.

• For those in need of rehoming, eviction-related and pet-friendly housing resources, visit our

Rehoming and Resources page at HawaiianHumane.org/rehome.

• For training resources, Hawaiian Humane has partnered with GoodPup to offer one free

week of one-on-one virtual dog training and a discount off of the lifetime of your

membership, which is also linked on our Rehoming and Resources page at

HawaiianHumane.org/rehome.

#HawaiianHumane

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The Hawaiian Humane Society is a non-profit education and advocacy organization that shelters, protects,

rescues, reunites and rehomes animals. Established in 1883, it is O‘ahu’s largest animal welfare

organization helping local pets and people in need. Visit HawaiianHumane.org for more information.