If you’re in the market for a new pet, now might the time to go for it thanks to Max Scherzer. The Washington Nationals pitcher and his wife, Erica Scherzer, are sponsoring adoption fees for 11 animals at local animal rescue operation Humane Rescue Alliance.
“Max and I know this year and holiday season have been particularly challenging for many community members, and we hope covering the fees for these special animals will help even more people discover the benefits of the human-animal bond,” Erica Scherzer, who is an HRA board member, said in a post on the organization’s website Wednesday.
The animals whose fees the couple are sponsoring, like Beluga, a three-year-old rabbit and 9-year-old cat Linus, are among those who have been in HRA’s care the longest. Others include aptly-named turtle Speedy, who has been there for just over a year, and Bean, a two-year-old dog who has been there a little less than two months.
“This is an extremely generous endeavor by Erica and Max,” Stephanie Shain, HRA’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, said in the post. “By allowing us to provide fee-waived adoptions, we hope to help these animals start 2021 off right — in a home with a family of their own.”
HRA’s adoption fees vary by animal and age. For cats between 6 months and 8 years old, the fee is $100, and is $200 for dogs in the same age range.
After the pandemic set in, a number of local shelters that saw a surge in demand for pets, and for many locals, their new furry friends have helped ease the loneliness of isolation, providing routine to long days inside and a break from the anxieties of a tough year. HRA also experienced a huge increase in foster volunteers, prompting the organization to rethink its whole model.
This isn’t the first time the Scherzers have covered adoption fees at HRA. The couple previously did so in 2017 to encourage adoptions and help make space for animals being relocated from Texas to D.C. because of Hurricane Harvey.
The Scherzers are covering the adoption fees through Dec. 31, and HRA’s usual virtual adoption procedures will apply. A full list of the animals they are sponsoring is available here.
