Grapevine calls local Clear the Shelters campaign a success

The Grapevine Animal Shelter and Adoption Center may not have as many animals as some other area shelters, but it believes every animal should have a chance to find its dream home.

With that in mind, the agency participated Saturday in this year’s Clear the Shelters event that led to the adoption of nearly 3,000 animals in North Texas.

The adoption fee was waived for that day only — the local event was held at the Grapevine center at 500 Shady Brook Drive.

Kristena Valentine, animal services supervisor for the shelter and adoption center, said they were excited to open their doors to the community and make the perfect matches that their animals deserve and help people find “a furry friend for life.”

That came true Saturday when most of the animals there were adopted.

The idea hatched in 2014 when shelter representatives across North Texas gathered to discuss participating in a unified campaign. Last year’s effort turned into the largest adoption event in North Texas history.

This year, the event was even bigger with 56 shelters participating, according to Whitney Hanson, spokeswoman for the Humane Society of North Texas.

The final tally: 2,942 pets adopted.

Hanson said that during the first campaign last year, they adopted out 339 pets and were hoping to up that number to 350 this year.

“We were really crossing our fingers,” Hanson said.

Everyone was surprised at the nearly 3,000 adoptions.

“We got our final numbers and we were all shocked,” the spokeswoman said. “We never guessed that we would reach that number in our wildest dreams.”

This story was originally published August 18, 2015 at 11:25 AM with the headline "Grapevine calls local Clear the Shelters campaign a success."