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200 animals find homes at Clear the Shelters event in Las Vegas

Dogs peered from the windows of their kennels Saturday afternoon, some barking, others staring quietly as people paused to read their name cards. Some cats curled up in the corners of their cages, sleepy after a day of people-watching, while others batted playfully at fingers reaching to pet them.

For many of the animals, it was the day they would go home. For many families, it was the day they would gain a new family member.

The Animal Foundation took part in Clear the Shelters, a national event hosted by NBC and Telemundo, and waived its adoption fees Saturday only.

The shelter adopted out 163 animals — 91 dogs, 62 cats, seven turtles, two rabbits, and one guinea pig — before 4 p.m. Saturday. More than 200 animals had been adopted by 5 p.m., according to The Animal Foundation’s Facebook page.

On a normal weekend day, about 35 pets are adopted. The shelter takes in about 80 animals per day.

“During the summer months we can have around 1,000 animals, easily,” Leahy said. “More people are away on vacation, dogs get loose. The Fourth of July is a big reason.”

Summer is also a busy season for shelters because animals tend to mate in the spring.

“Clear the Shelters comes at a time of the year when we’re all busy and we’re full, and we have animals to adopt,” Leahy said. “And it’s nice as people head into the school year to bring home a new pet.”

The foundation’s kittens and puppies and most of its small dogs were adopted early in the morning, Leahy said.

Robyn Reed, a volunteer specialist with the Animal Foundation, said the shelter staffed the event Saturday with about 90 volunteers and about 100 staff members. The foundation’s seven staff veterinarians – plus relief vets – conducted 60 to 80 spays and neuters per day the week prior so that animals could go home the same day they were adopted.

Reed emphasized that, despite the sharp increase in adoptions, The Animal Foundation still followed a thorough verification process on each adoptive owner – including checking IDs, verifying addresses, and checking for prior incidents involving Animal Control and the foundation itself. (People who have returned animals in the past must have their entire household present to adopt again.)

“A lot of people on adoption days like this have the perception that we’re just handing out animals for free,” Reed said. “We still do every step the same. It just has a lot more coordinated effort.”

Dominique Kirchefer, 23, took home Lawrence, an 8-month-old silver-beige pit bull with a white chest and white paws. She was drawn to him by his pale-green eyes.

“And he was super playful as soon as we took him out,” said Kirchefer, a Henderson resident. “He’s still a baby, so that was a plus.”

She had already been searching for a dog when she heard about Clear the Shelters. She took the waived fees as a sign that it was time to adopt, Kirchefer said.

“All animals need homes. It’s better than buying them at pet stores or on Craigslist,” she said. Lawrence tugged on his leash, his coned head straining toward the exit.

“A lot of animals get stuck here forever,” she said. “At another location, one dog has been there since September of last year. It’s always good to get them a loving home.”

Cathy and Jay Sierra, of Scenic, Arizona, sat in a large, air-conditioned tent with about 15 other people, waiting to process their paperwork and pay their city fee. They had picked out a black-and-white cat named Jenn, the same name as Cathy Sierra’s daughter, she said.

The Sierras had been considering getting a cat for about a year, after Cathy tried to nurse an abandoned kitten to health. The kitten had started to grow hair and open its eyes, but it died about a month after its birth.

“His name was Bill. I still miss him,” Cathy Sierra, 55, said. “Ever since then I’ve wanted a cat.”

The Sierras decided to adopt from The Animal Foundation because they had a positive experience there when they adopted their dog, Lily. Cathy Sierra said she had already taken photos of Jenn in her cage and shared them on Facebook.

Jay Sierra and the cat made an instant connection, Cathy Sierra said.

“He put his face up to the cage and the cat came and put her nose on his nose,” she said. “We were like, ‘OK, that’s the one.’ ”

Contact Kimber Laux at klaux@reviewjournal.com. Follow @lauxkimber on Twitter.

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