Danville, Pa. — Summer is here, and that means the return of the Pennsylvania SPCA's Pittiefest, a celebration of pitties with special $5 adoption fees, kicked off today.
Designed after a certain favorite Pennsylvania convenience store's annual celebration of hoagies, Pittiefest comes during the slow summer adoption period. The event, which saw nearly 60 pitties find homes last year, will run through Sunday, July 26, across all four Pennsylvania SPCA locations: Philadelphia, Danville, Lancaster, and the PSPCA’s Main Line Animal Rescue Site.
The Danville location's workers, stationed at 1467 Bloom Road, are celebrating their "favorite blocky-headed dogs," like Nova.
"Nova is one of the many pittie-type dogs waiting to show someone how much love, loyalty, and goofy fun they have to offer. These dogs have so much personality packed into those adorable faces and we can’t wait to see them find the homes they deserve," the Pennsylvania SPCA Danville Center said in a Facebook post.
During Pittiefest, the PSPCA will make it a priority to celebrate pitties and share important facts and common misconceptions about them:
- "Pitbull" isn't a breed. It's a generic, umbrella term used to describe dogs with similar traits and characteristics.
- They don't have "locking jaws." This is a persistent myth with no basis in canine anatomy, a pitbull's jaw structure is no different from that of any other dog breed.
- Temperament testing tells a different story. Pitties consistently score as one of the more even-tempered and friendly dog types when evaluated by canine behavior organizations, often outperforming breeds with more favorable reputations (like Golden Retrievers!).
Adopters are invited to visit the four sites during open hours to view and meet adoptable dogs. While pitties come in different sizes, including shorti and classic, all pitties for this promotion will have $5 adoption fees.
All standard adoption policies and procedures will be in effect during Pittiefest. For a third consecutive year, Pittiefest is generously sponsored by The John & Christine Tortorella Family Foundation.
"Pittiefest has become such an inspiring time at the Pennsylvania SPCA," said Gillian Kocher, Director of Public Relations. "We love celebrating these special pups, and seeing so many of them find homes is truly heartwarming. We hope the 2026 iteration will bring even more joy and find homes for so many deserving pups."