Sampson Community College has a rich history of reaching out to the community to help where needed. This week, members of the college’s Psychology Club even stepped across county lines to help some very special members of the community.

“As a club, we traveled to Fayetteville this weekend to support pet adoptions,” said Sarah Burgin, psychology instructor and creator of the club. “We attended Fayetteville’s Second Annual Furr Fest, which is an effort to help find pets new homes and hopefully get as many as possible out of animal shelters there.”

The event is sponsored by a local radio station who partners with area shelters and other pet experts and to help listeners find a new best friend or simply treat their pets to a good time. Along with pet adoptions and non-profit agencies on site, there was plenty to do for pet families and their fur babies, including pet-friendly vendors, a ‘Howloween’ costume contest, trunk-or-treat for the kids, food trucks and a wide range of products and services.

PHOTO:  Pictured are Danielle Robinson, Trinity Fernandez, Kierston Brady, Gabriella Mandujano, and Sarah Burgin. Not pictured: Courtney Eads and Sandra Ramirez.

Approximately 6.5 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide every year. Of those, approximately 3.3 million are dogs and 3.2 million are cats.  It is estimated that the number of dogs and cats entering U.S. shelters annually has declined from approximately 7.2 million in 2011. A trend Burgin and her club members would like to see continue.

Burgin says this helps motivate those who care about this issue. “These are tangible numbers,” she says. “This is something you can step back from and say ‘OK, it’s working’ and realize that if you can continue to support pet adoptions at every level, you can see success.” For more information about the Psychology Club and its future projects, contact Burgin at sburgin@sampsoncc.edu or at. 910-900-4088.