There are few things than bring more joy in life than the love of a furry friend. This weekend, southwest Michigan residents will have the chance to take a new one home at a discounted price.

This Saturday, both Berrien County Animal Control, 1400 S. Euclid Ave., Benton Harbor, and Cass County Animal Control, 323 M-62, Cassopolis, will be participating in BISSELL Pet Foundation’s Empty the Shelters event, which allows local shelters to offer animals at a discounted adoption fee of $25 per dog or cat. All adoptable pets will be spayed/neutered and microchipped. Empty the Shelters is a nationwide program that has adopted out nearly 20,000 pets since it began in 2017, according to BISSELL.

If you are even thinking about getting a new pet, we would encourage you to visit our local shelters during this event.

We know there is an appeal or “cuteness factor” that comes with dogs specifically bred for a purpose. All sorts of designer dogs from “pomskies” to “golden doodles” to “puggles” are all sorts of “awe”-inducingly cute. Despite this, we would always advise that people choose adoption over going to a breeder every time.

An adopted animal will give you every bit of love a breeder animal would — maybe more — and shelter animals truly need your love back. Every time you adopt from a shelter, you are saving a life. Even if you are looking for a specific breed of dog or a cat of a certain color or temperament, chances are you will be able to find one at a nearby shelter, and you will often be armed with more information about that animal’s preferences and personality than you would if you bought it from a pet store.

We can assure you that adopting an animal is not a decision many regret.

Saturday, Berrien County Animal Control will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Cass County Animal Control will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for Empty the Shelters. If you are looking for a new furry friend, this is a great opportunity to take one home and support our local shelters.

Opinions expressed are those of general manager Ambrosia Neldon, managing editor Sarah Culton and sports editor Scott Novak.