Cumulus Media’s ten stations in Mobile, AL, and Pensacola, FL, teamed up with the Mobile County Animal Shelter for the first-ever Gulf Coast Pet Adoption Festival. The event resulted in the adoption of 28 dogs on-site and another 10 via future placements.
Ahead of the event, the 10 Cumulus Mobile/Pensacola stations spotlighted adoptable pets on-air and via Facebook Live. Each animal featured was adopted within days, prompting the stations to commit to making weekly pet spotlights a permanent part of their programming.
The Gulf Coast region, often affected by hurricanes and severe weather, faces a growing crisis of displaced and abandoned pets.
Cumulus Media Regional Vice President and Market Manager Don Boyd said, “This all started when I began seeing post after post on social media about pets in Gulf Coast shelters needing homes. The number of homeless dogs in our area is staggering, and I knew we had to do something. I shared the vision with our team, and Regional Promotions Director, Cami Marlowe immediately got to work reaching out to local shelters.”
“On the day of the event, the response was overwhelming. Listeners were lined up 20 deep within the first hour, and dogs were finding their forever homes within minutes. This is the power of local radio and digital coming together to serve the community. My hope is that this brings more awareness to the issue of homeless pets and inspires other communities to take action,” Boyd added.
“We were hoping for at least five adoptions during the Mobile Pet Adoption Festival,” said Mobile County Animal Shelter Adoption Placement Specialist Hannah Overbay. The overwhelming community support was truly heartwarming. Our entire staff is ecstatic to see so many animals find their forever families, and we’re excited to continue this mission.”
In response to the continued need in Pensacola, where over 275 animals remain without homes, Cumulus Media is organizing a second Gulf Coast Pet Adoption Festival. That event will take place on Saturday, May 3.
Such a heartwarming initiative! Amazing to see local radio making a real impact—38 adoptions and counting! Looking forward to the next Gulf Coast Pet Adoption Festival in May!