Bring one home: Pet adoption fees waived to Clear the Shelters

Thousands of pets will find their people Saturday as NBC Universal, the Humane Society of the U.S., local NBC affiliate stations like WRAL-TV and local animal shelters team up to Clear the Shelters. The nationwide event, Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., encourages animal adoption by offering potential pet parents the opportunity to bring home a furry friend without the adoption fee.

After the spring breeding season, animal shelters are typically crowded as summer days grow long. Budgets are stretched and space is at a premium.

Each will tally adoptions throughout the day to be tracked in real-time and added to adoptions across the country. In 2015, Clear the Shelters found homes for almost 20,000 animals.