‘A True Miracle’: Pa. Animal Shelter Empty for 1st Time in Nearly 50 Years After Hundreds of Adoptions

This year, the Pennsylvania shelter has adopted out 598 animals and reunited 125 strays with their owners

Empty dog animal shelter - stock image

SPCA in Adams County, Pa. is empty for the first time in 50 years.PHOTO: GETTY

A Pennsylvania shelter was packed with cats and dogs just two weeks ago. Today, all of the kennels are empty for the first time in 47 years.

The SPCA in Adams County, Pa. is “beyond excited” that the shelter is empty, particularly around the holidays.

“Our community stepped up once again! This is the first time in 47 YEARS that the Adams County SPCA is empty let alone at Christmas time, it is a true miracle,” the shelter wrote in a Facebook post.

The shelter credits the accomplishment to the hardworking staff and volunteers who “have worked very hard to take care of the animals in our care and to make sure they got adopted to the right home.” With their help, the shelter has adopted out 598 animals and reunited 125 strays with their owners this year.

While the staff is celebrating their achievement today, staff members are already preparing to quickly get back to work.

“We will be pulling animals from other shelters in PA next week in hopes of relieving some of their stress,” the shelter’s post reads. “Right now, we are going to enjoy this accomplishment!”

In other uplifting pet news, across the country, one rescue dog turned to Santa Claus for help finding a forever home.

In a video posted on TikTok earlier this month, a small bulldog named Grape attends a pet meet at the Century City Mall in Los Angeles with a sign attached to his stroller that reads, “Santa … All I want for Christmas is a home.”

Bulldog named Grape who met Santa

A small rescue bulldog named Grape sat on Santa Claus’ lap with a big wish.COURTESY OF ROADOGS RESCUE
Grape is currently up for adoption through Roadogs Rescue in Southern California, where he was transferred by an out-of-state rescue due to his complicated medical issues.The rescue has spent about $20,000 on Grape’s medical care, including palate surgery to help his breathing and stem cell treatment for his joints.

Now that he is medically stable and a “happy boy,” Grape is looking for someone to adopt him.

“He seems to enjoy getting dressed up and making people smile,” Nikki Carvey, the founder of Roadogs Rescue, told PEOPLE. “One person who met him in the mall cried because they thought he was so sweet.”