For immediate release
Contact: Mercede New, 904-757-4463, ext. 211
Gina Stiles, 904-757-4463, ext. 210

Pets Need “A Home for the Holidays”
A Pet Adoption Event
Sponsored by Winn-Dixie
 at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens

December 6, 2008 – 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

November 26, 2008 – Jacksonville, FL –   The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is hosting its third annual pet adoption event, A Home for the Holidays, on Saturday, December 6, 2008, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  Animal rescue groups and shelters from all over the First Coast area will bring a wide variety of cats and dogs that are all in need of a good, loving home.  The event, sponsored by Winn-Dixie, will be held in the main parking lot of the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.  Event admission is free.  Each agency will charge its normal adoption fee, which includes all mandatory vaccinations.  A free ticket to the Jacksonville Zoo will be given to each person who adopts a pet.   Jazoo, the Zoo’s friendly - but mischievous - lion mascot will be entertaining and visitors can enter a drawing for some great prizes.

For those who plan to visit the Zoo, there will also be a Wolf Awareness booth set up in Wild Florida where guests can learn about their dog’s cousin, the wolf.

“The Zoo is pleased to work with our sponsor, Winn-Dixie, in supporting the pet adoption agencies all across Northeast Florida, in this important animal conservation initiative,” said Gina Stiles, marketing and membership manager for Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. 

“The love and companionship provided by a dog or cat is a powerful force for a family or individual,” said Terry Grooms Derreberry, Winn-Dixie’s manager of corporate donations.  “Adopting a dog or cat at this event will help families and their new pets be acclimated to each other before the holidays – it’s an early present for both the pets and the owners.”

Editors Note:  Pets will not be admitted into the Zoo.

For over 90 years, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has been dedicated to inspiring the discovery and appreciation of wildlife through innovative experience in a caring environment.  Starting in 1914 with an animal collection that consisted of one red deer fawn, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has grown to house more than 1,500 rare and exotic animals and over 1,000 plant species. The Zoo is a non-profit organization and is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Located on Jacksonville’s north side two miles off I-95, the Zoo is open year-round, 7 days a week, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.  For more information on the Zoo, log on to www.jacksonvillezoo.org.

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