Memory Care Adopt-a-Thon lifting spirits in Pass Christian

With a little bit of determination anything is ‘pawsible.’ A local group of volunteers hosted an Adopt-a-Thon in Pass Christian to help local seniors and dogs.

Pass Christian Health and Rehab Center Resident Marilyn Vancius could be seen grinning ear to ear after carefully selecting her new pup. “Her name is Lady. She’s two-years-old and just like me, she loves spaghetti.”

She and many of her peers were able to adopt stuffed animal pets during the Memory Care Adopt-a-Thon, an event created to lift seniors’ spirits during the pandemic. “She’s going to sleep with me and keep me company. When I get sad, and sometimes you do get sad around here, she had such a pretty face.”

The event also helps out real pets with no adoption fee, just donations for the Humane Society of South Mississippi. “I wish people would donate more to them. It’s a worthy cause even if you don’t want a pet.”

HSSM Development Director Katie King said, “It’s been so wonderful to see the residents’ faces light up that they get to adopt an animal to take care of.”

Event Coordinator Michele Ponte was inspired to put on an Adopt-a-Thon after seeing one on social media just three weeks ago. “A bunch of friends said let’s do it. We’re not with a group. We’re just a group of volunteers that care about animals and want to benefit everybody.”

The group donated pounds of supplies to the Humane Society and the stuffed animals were adopted by 30 residents.