That’s a lot of bones!
During this year’s Clear the Shelters — an annual event presented by NBC- and Telemundo-owned television stations during which shelters waive or reduce adoption fees — more than 60,000 dogs and cats found new homes. (At press time, the number was 68,908, as some organizations keep the event going for several days.) Last year’s total was around 54,000.
NBC reported on numerous heartwarming stories from around the country, including tales of pets deemed “unadoptable” who found loving owners (like a Chihuahua mix in New Jersey with a heart murmur, taken home by a man with the same condition) and even goats, pigs and horses who were adopted. PEOPLE Pet Vet Dr. Evan Antin (above) popped into Lisa Vanderpump’s namesake dog rescue in Los Angeles, where adorable puppies were up for grabs.
This year, there was a 30 percent increase in participating shelters nationwide, with hopes for an even bigger increase next year. Since 2015, more than 136,000 pets have found new homes through Clear the Shelters.