Our NBC 7 annual 'Clear the Shelters' event is just around the corner on August 18, and we're giving you a peak of the animals you will be able to adopt.
There are two county animal services shelters, one in Carlsbad and one in Bonita. Cats, dogs, rabbits and even a rooster need forever homes this year.
“We have about 75 dogs available for adoption between both shelters,” said Daniel DeSousa, Director for the County of San Diego Animal Services. “We have about 100 cats. We’re encouraging people to come down and find a playful cat.”
DeSousa added that many of the dogs and cats at the shelters are found or turned in with no owners in sight. The shelter holds the animals, hoping owners will find them but many times, they never do.
"With all the dogs that come into our shelters about 34 percent of the dogs are reclaimed by their owners," said DeSousa. "But for cats, it's a dismal four percent. Then we're challenged with trying to find homes for all those cats."
Last year, more than 80,000 pets were adopted from over 900 shelters across the country. Since 2015, Clear the Shelters has helped 153,651 pets find forever homes.
