This Valentine’s Day weekend, Bryant Bank is spreading some much needed love to the furry residents at the Limestone County Animal Care and Control (LCACC) — generously offering to cover the cost of the shelter’s adoption fees on Friday, Feb. 14, and Saturday, Feb. 15.

The heartwarming initiative was originally conceived by Limestone County Commission Chairman Collin Daly in December 2024. He has worked closely with the LCACC Director Christy Perry to get as many animals as possible into their forever homes since the shelter, located at 521 U.S. 72 in Athens, opened to the public in October of 2024.

“This is a big deal for our community,” Daly told The News Courier. “A lot of businesses always claim to want what’s best for our community, but Bryant Bank is really putting their money where their mouth is. We know that not every family may not be able or willing to cover the initial adoption fees, so they have removed that hurdle for them. I just hope other businesses in the community follow through and try to do the same in the future.”

Daly mentioned that Bryant Bank has already put down $3,000 to cover the $100 dollar fee of up to 30 adoptions for Friday and Saturday. He also said that they would be willing to go over if they get a large crowd of people looking for a new addition to their family for the holiday.

“At Bryant Bank, we pride ourselves in giving back to our local community and we couldn’t be more excited to give back in a way that helps animals find new homes,” Tommy Coblentz, Athens Market President for Bryant Bank, said. “Christy and the team at Limestone County Animal Care and Control do such a great job with all of the animals. We hope this event helps place many animals and relieves some of the stress on Limestone County Animal Care and Control. I would like to thank Commission Chairman Daly, and all of our county commissioners, for this opportunity. If anyone is looking for a new family pet — there is no better time than Valentine’s Day weekend to find the perfect pet for your family.”

LCACC is home to numerous cats and dogs, all of which are waiting for their second chance and a happy life filled with love. The local shelter’s dedicated staff work tirelessly to care for the animals, but according to Perry they rely on the community’s support to successfully do their jobs.

“We have really great animals here, so many of them are super loving and affectionate, but they just had a rough start on life,” Perry said. “There are so many reasons why an animal ends up at a shelter, and none of those reasons are on the animal. When you adopt, you are not only saving that animal’s life, but you are opening up a space for us to save another pet’s life. That’s why we can’t do our job without the help of the community.”

Perry mentioned that representatives from Bryant Bank will be present to help out with the adoption process when the shelter opens their doors to prospective adopters starting at 10 a.m. on both Friday and Saturday.

Vanessa Yates, who oversees all of the cats at LCACC, mentioned just how important free adoption days are for not just those prospective adopters, but for those animals who have been with the shelter for several weeks.

“It’s great, because you know they are going to a good home where they won’t be in a cage all the time,” Yates said. “It can be hard to see them go at times, because you get so close, but I’m usually happy to see them leave and get that second chance in life.”