Volunteers clad in green shirts introduced county residents to some of the adoptable pets at the shelter — from large Pyrenees and German Shepherds to Chihuahua mixes and weeks-old kittens — during the Yolo County “Clear the Shelter” event.

The Friends of Yolo County Animal Services worked in partnership with local Eagle Scouts to put on the 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. adoption event on Saturday, Sept. 21.

The “Clear the Shelter” event included snacks for guests, a talent show highlighting the skills of Yolo County’s four-legged residents and unlimited access to petting some of the shelter’s adoptable pets.

All adoption fees were waived for the event, eliminating a large hurdle for folks who may not be able to pay the one-time adoption fee.

“Our goal is to clear the shelter because we are very much at capacity,” Friends of Yolo County Animal Services co-founder Tricia Hilliard said.

Animal shelters across the country have seen a drastic uptick in animal intake, specifically in ownership surrenders. Animal rights organization Shelter Animals Count released a report showing surrenders made up a fourth of the pets being brought into shelters, which has directly contributed to the surge of shelters at capacity.

Some of the dogs at Saturday’s event were owner surrenders, some of which had been there for as long as a year.

“We really try to give every dog what they need,” Hilliard explained. “We have a great base of volunteers who put their heart and soul in helping with the dogs.”

By the end of the event, plenty of dogs and cats were able to go to their forever homes. Though there were still animals in the shelter by the end of the day, volunteers met their goal of creating more room for future pet intakes.

“Every time we call out to our community, they do come, they do show up,” Hilliard said. “And we are really blessed to be a part of Yolo County.”

Hilliard said the shelter will host more “Clear the Shelter” events in the future. If residents are unable to adopt, she said there are other ways to help ensure these pets find homes.

“If you can’t adopt, then donate your time,” Hilliard offered. “We are looking for dog walkers that can work during the day as well, so if anyone is off on a specific day, they can come in for a day and spend some time with some dogs.”

For more information on Friends of Yolo County Animal Services and adoptable animals, go to their website at https://www.friendsofycas.org/.