It's The First Time These Kennels Have Ever Been Empty

For one day this week, rows upon rows of cages at this shelter stood empty. Not a single cat remained in the building - a far cry from the dozens of abandoned cats who typically call Cumberland County SPCA home.

It's the kind of silence that speaks volumes about the New Jersey shelter's staff and volunteers, who didn't put down a single animal to empty those cages. Instead, according to the organization's Facebook page, the cats were all adopted by families or pulled by other rescues that work with Cumberland County SPCA.

"We are thrilled," the group noted in its post, adding it's the first time in the shelter's history that the cat adoption room has stood completely empty.

Of course, it didn't take long for the reality of pet abandonment to check back in. After all, about 3.4 million cats enter shelters like this one every year. Only about 37 percent of them are adopted, according to the ASPCA. Many more are euthanized.

So an adoption rate of 100 percent for Cumberland County SPCA is indeed something to celebrate. Even if only a fleeting light, it's the kind of beacon we can follow.

The kind of beacon that says yes, we can do this. Together.

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