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'Could not come at a better time' | Charlotte-area shelters grateful for Clear the Shelters event

Cook said the humane society just recently exceeded 2,000 adoptions and wants to use the next month to keep the momentum going.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — WCNC Charlotte is teaming up with NBC to help Clear the Shelters with a nationwide pet adoption and donation drive that will run from Monday, Aug. 23 through Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021.

“This is a big initiative for WCNC our local affiliate,” Emily Cook with the Humane Society of Charlotte said. “And we just want to be participating to make sure we’re finding as many animals good homes and loving homes as possible.”

Cook said the humane society just recently exceeded 2,000 adoptions and wants to use the next month to keep the momentum going. This year, to maintain a COVID-19 safe environment the campaign is accommodating virtual pet adoptions with the WeRescue App to help potential pet owners find adoptable furry friends, submit applications and ask questions.

RELATED: These are the shelters in the Charlotte area that are participating in Clear the Shelters

During the month-long virtual efforts you can log onto WCNC.com to meet the pets we’re highlighting. Also, tune in to WCNC Charlotte for our live coverage of Adoption Day on Saturday, Sept. 18. 

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Animal control officials said the campaign comes at a time of year when they are at their busiest.

“Shelters across the country this time of year through the summer months are our fullest time, so Clear The Shelters could not come at a better time,” Melissa Knicely with Animal Care and Control told WCNC. “Every animal that gets adopted is creating space for another animal to come into our shelter, and so we just want to make sure that we are keeping up with the community demand for adoptions.”

RELATED: Help us Clear the Shelters

Ten Shelters and rescues in the Charlotte viewing area are participating in this year’s campaign. If you’re unable to adopt right now, organizers say you should consider fostering or keeping an animal for a short period of time, which temporarily helps ease the pet population at shelters.

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“Right now fostering can really help us out. It can get the animals out of the shelter environment and into relaxing homes and, you know, it can find them a forever home that way while not taking up valuable space here at the shelter that can be helping another animal,” Knicely said. 

Contact Fred Shropshire at fred@wcnc.com and follow him on FacebookInstagram and Twitter.

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