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Saturday is 'Clear the Shelters' adoption day. That means animal shelters in Pender, New Hanover, Brunswick and Columbus Counties will be adopting out animals without the usual fees. It’s all part of a nationwide pet adoption drive.

Saturday is the day you can adopt a pet in the Cape Fear Region, without paying the usual fees associated with such a move.

The ‘Clear the Shelters’ program was started in 2015.

Dr. Kristen Colleran is the owner of Dragonfly Mobile Veterinary Care in Brunswick County. She says the free adoption day makes a difference.

“I think it does help a lot because sometimes it just gives people a little kick, you know, they've been thinking about adopting a pet or welcoming, welcoming a pet into their household or into their family. It kind of jumpstarts that for them ….so that they'll go down and adopt a pet that's possibly been sitting in the shelter for days, if not weeks. And it helps to clear space within the shelter so that more animals who are homeless or who are going to be relinquished to the shelter, it gives more room for them.”

But she does remind people an adopted pet can have issues.

“I think when you go to an adoption fair, you have to keep in mind that a lot of times there isn't a medical history on these pets or any kind of history. So sometimes you're not going to know is there an illness this pet has, that no one knows about. You're not going to know if there are any behavioral issues. And a lot of times there are cute puppies at adoption fairs, but they're also older pets and I think they are the ones who most often need the home because, you know, they've come from a family situation. It's much harder for older pets, like older people to adapt to things so I think going in with a fresh mind and remembering that sometimes things don't always work out perfectly, and maybe there is some problems you're going to come across that you're going to have to deal with, with this pet. But in the end it really is worthwhile adopting.”

Most of the shelters are participating in the area on Saturday.