Clear the Shelters 2019 – Tips for Saturday!

It's August, which means that Clear the Shelters sponsored by NBC Universal, is just around the corner. The Humane Society of Charlotte is excited to once again, participate in this nationwide event and help find as many homes as possible for the dogs and cats at HSC. For 2019, HSC will fee-waive our available dogs and cats for adoption and will be open from 11:00 am - 5:00 pm on Saturday, August 17.

It's going to be a busy day - here is what to expect when you arrive at HSC!

  • Prepare for lines...and heat: Last year, we were fortunate enough to have enough interested adopters that we had a line to enter the building backed in our parking lot. Our team will get you inside and checked in as soon as possible. We want to make sure we have enough staff and volunteers to allow for interactions with our animals to make sure adoptions are a good fit. It is going to be HOT on Saturday. Please bring water, dress cooly and even bring a chair!
  • Leave your pets at home: While we completely understand that meet and greets can be essential for great adoptions, Saturday will be so busy and crowded that we will not be able to facilitate these safely. If your pet at home is selective or particular, please make an appointment with our Behavior Programs Manager to set up a meet and greet either prior to Clear the Shelters or after. We will not be able to let your pet inside and of course, we never advocate leaving animals in the hot car while you adopt another animal.
  • Adoptions are based on a first-come, first-served basis: We know that several parties will be interested in the same pets. Available dogs and cats will meet with families one at a time and if a family in front of you decides to adopt that animal, they will no longer be available. If a family meets an animal and does not adopt at that moment, the animal can be adopted by another family. We cannot hold animals for any interested parties. If you would like to visit multiple pets, please understand that you will have to return to the adoption check-in table and wait for another turn to meet another animal.
  • You must be 18+ to adopt from the Humane Society of Charlotte: Please bring a valid form of I.D.
  • Dog Collar and Leash: All adopted dogs must go home on a collar and leash. Please bring one with you. We have collars and leashes available for sale at HSC if you do not have one. Adopted cats will be provided with a cardboard cat carrier to go home.
  • Unavailable Animals: While the majority of our animals will be available and fee-waived on Saturday, there are some that will not be available for adoption that day. These animals either have special needs or their adopters need to be made aware of special circumstances. If you are interested in these animals, please ask to make an appointment to adopt them at another time.
  • Be Courteous to our Animals: It's a big day not only for HSC but for our animals as well! Please make sure to follow HSC rules to make our dogs and cats feel safe and comfortable. Please do not stick fingers through the kennel gates. Please do not allow children to climb on or chase animals in the interaction play yards. This is both for your safety and the animals'.

ADOPTION PROCESS FOR SATURDAY

  • Enter our shelter at 2700 Toomey Avenue. If our main parking lot is full, please park in the lot across the street.
  • If you are there to potentially adopt, please proceed through the door on the left and check-in with our Clear the Shelters Day Staff & Volunteers.
    • If you know the animal you'd like to meet with, please tell our staff/volunteers so they can set you up with the animal in the first available play yard.
    • If you'd like to walk around and see who is available, continue to our kennels and come back to the table when you are ready to meet with an animal.
  • When you're ready to meet with an animal, an HSC Adoption Counselor will escort you to one of our 5 play yards. If you decide to adopt, they will then return the animal to their kennel, notify our staff that the animal has been adopted, and escort you to our Adoption room to fill out paperwork.
  • After paperwork, you'll finalize check-out at our front desk.
    • If you adopt a CAT: your newly adopted feline will be brought to you at our front desk in a cardboard cat carrier to take home. Congratulations!
    • If you adopt a DOG: to cut down on crowd-confusion, our staff will instruct you to drive or walk down to our Spay/Neuter Clinic parking lot where we will meet you with your new buddy!