Laredo Animal Care Services waived adoption fees for all animals during an “Empty The Shelters” event that occurred Friday, July 28 and Saturday, July 29, 2023, at 5202 Maher Ave in Laredo, Texas.

The shelter says the two-day effort covered a combined 13 hours and made available 500 animals — including 400 dogs — to create space at the facility and speed placements into homes. This initiative is particularly important given the ongoing challenges that animal shelters face, with animals entering shelters faster than they are leaving, creating a backlog that affects care and living conditions for the animals.

The event ran from 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Friday and 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM on Saturday, shelter officials said. Laredo Animal Care Services hosted the fee-waiver drive and worked to move animals into permanent homes during the weekend.

Veronica Gamboa, program coordinator with Laredo Animal Care Services, outlined the shelter’s immediate objective: “Our goal is to find 50 homes for adoptable dogs and cats during this event,” she said. Gamboa’s statement frames the weekend as an intensified effort to reduce shelter crowding while highlighting animals ready for adoption. In light of prevailing trends, it’s become increasingly critical for shelters to implement effective adoption strategies.

Among those listed as available is a dog named Fairy Godmother, who arrived at the shelter in January with her puppies Ariel, Aurora, Belle, and Jasmine. The puppies were born at the shelter and are now healthy after surviving Parvovirus. Another dog highlighted by staff is Sweetie, a 3-year-old lab mix described as gentle and good with people and other dogs who is frequently overlooked. The shelter also named two cats — McFlurry and Diamond — as available for adoption.

Laredo Animal Care Services coordinated the event locally and drew on shelter data reported by Best Friends Animal Society to manage outreach and placements. The fee waiver applied to all animals at the shelter for the duration of the drive.

The “Empty The Shelters” model has been used by shelters nationwide as a short-term way to accelerate adoptions; resources related to similar campaigns are listed by the Animal Foundation on its site Bissell Pet Foundation’s Empty the Shelters. General information on shelter operations and strategies that support adoptions is available from national organizations such as the ASPCA.

Staff hope the combination of waived fees and the weekend schedule will encourage families to visit the shelter at 5202 Maher Ave and consider dogs and cats that have been waiting for homes. The shelter’s promotional list names specific animals to help match visitors with pets that suit their households and lifestyles. Community members are also encouraged to support their local shelters by volunteering, fostering animals, or making financial donations, which are crucial for maintaining shelter operations and caring for its residents.

Officials emphasize the short-term goal for the event while continuing routine shelter operations before and after the drive. The weekend effort was intended to reduce overcrowding and make room for incoming animals that need care and placement.

The adoption event took place on Friday and Saturday, July 28–29, 2023, at the address provided by Laredo Animal Care Services; the shelter waived all adoption fees during the combined 13 hours of the drive.

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Original reporting: view the original article.