It's time to Clear the Shelters in South Florida.
If you're looking to find a furry member for your family, more than a dozen locations in Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe and Palm Beach are participating in this year's Clear the Shelters event.
NBC 6 and Telemundo 51 are teaming up with shelters on Saturday, August 17 for the fifth-annual animal adoption drive.
"We are extremely proud to support the arduous work of shelters and rescues as they continue to make a difference in our communities," said Larry Olevitch, President and General Manager at NBC 6. "It's wonderful to see so many pets find loving families through this initiative year after year."
Many of the shelters are waiving or reducing adoption fees to help families find and adopt a new pet. Other services are also free, depending on the location.
Local
Every year, millions of companion animals end up in shelters across the country. And while shelter adoption rates have been steadily rising since 2011, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, approximately 1.5 million animals — 860,000 cats and about 670,000 dogs — are still euthanized each year due to overcrowding.
Last year, more than 100,000 pets were adopted from over 1,200 shelters across the country. Since 2015, Clear the Shelters has helped 256,688 pets find forever homes.
