Each year thousands of neglected and sheltered animals face euthanized due to overcrowding, illness and lack of adopters. Animal shelters across the United States are faced with the difficult task of finding good, safe homes for a variety of abandoned animals.
Those that are not adopted often face long-term boarding, and eventually could be euthanized. Even with the wide-reaching net of social media, commercial and radio advertisements, animals continue to sit, unadopted, in the shelters. An animal shelter in the Oklahoma City Area decided to combat this issue by getting creative.
By using the Area 51 craze to their benefit, shelter organizers made a plea via social media to The Area 51 Raiders – “Raid Us and Adopt an Animal Today.” By appealing to the curious nature of nation-wide alien enthusiasts, employees working in the Oklahoma City Shelter took photographs of their dogs and cats wearing special “alien protective” foil hats.
Organizers of the adoption event promised life-long companions that would help protect against alien invasion. The event was posted on Facebook titled, Storm Area 51 – They Can’t Stop All of Us!” The message to all the alien and Area 51 aficionados is clear: Adopt a friend who will protect you until the end – alien invasions included! The invitation, scheduled to occur sometime in September, was pushed out as an incitement to “Raid the Shelter!”
Astonishingly enough, over 2 million people world-wide have signed up to attend the event. While most participants are joking, the United States Air Force isn’t laughing. Official warnings telling people to stay away have been issued and admonitions of serious consequences for those who decide to take the invitation seriously have been disseminated.
Air Force spokeswoman, Laura McAndrews said in a statement, “Any attempt to illegally access military installations or military training areas is dangerous.” While the interest continues to grow, shelter event coordinator, Matty Roberts reaffirms the page was created as a joke and meant to raise awareness to the plight of unadopted animals and their need for good homes. Nevertheless, he has concerns about what he has started.
Nevertheless, the Oklahoma City Animal Shelter has used the fun to promote the 54 cats, two pigs, 149 dogs and a hamster in the hopes that good families will step out in faith and give these animals a loving and nurturing home. In the wake of the excitement over the social media cry for action, the shelter requested donations and have received well over $2,200.
While the event has created a flurry of excitement over the possibility of raining Area 51 with a new lifelong companion at your side, the Oklahoma City Shelter warns that the event was all in good fun and meant to be a joke. Joking aside, the frenzy over the popular post has helped create awareness and augmented pet adoption in the state. Charitable donations have been pouring in and dogs and cats have found lifelong homes. Adopt your new pet now and maybe, the animal shelter will throw in a tin foil anti-alien hat on the house.
