Fishers animal shelter to host $10 adoption event on Saturday

Families can adopt a new furry friend this weekend for $10 at Hamilton County's Clear the Shelters event.

From noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, the Fishers shelter will host a family-friendly adoption event with refreshments, music and adoptable critters.

There are nearly 600 animals under the care of the Humane Society for Hamilton County, according to communications director Lily Darling.

All cats and dogs up for adoption are spayed or neutered, microchipped and up to date on vaccines. They will come home with a bag of food and a month's worth of preventative heartworm, flea and tick medications.

Volunteers will be on-site to make sure that animals are well-matched with potential adopters. Attendees can speed up the process by completing an adoption application online.

The shelter only has capacity for 223 animals. Staff and volunteers are doing what they can to take care of their charges, but adoptions are the best way to free up space and resources.

Anybody interested in bringing home a new family member should bring in all members of the household and a government ID. Renters should bring in a current copy of their lease or landlord's pet policy. People looking to adopt dogs need to bring in the household's current pets, too.

Darling said adopters should also bring an open heart. Animals can become overstimulated and distressed in the shelter environment, but she said many are already housebroken and know basic commands.

The Hamilton County event is part of a national campaign spearheaded by NBCUniversal Local. Participating shelters can be found using a map tool on the campaign's website.

Families will go home with resources about new animal ownership and access to a 24/7 behavioral health hotline. Last year's event united 55 animals with families.

"We want this to work for people. We want it to be easy," Darling said. "We want adoptions to be forever."

Other upcoming Indy Clear the Shelter events

• Alliance for Responsible Pet Ownership : Nine Lives Cat Cafe in Fountain Square, Aug. 21 - Sept. 17
• Cuddle Me Cat Rescue : Petco in Southport and Speedway, Saturday, noon - 3 p.m.
• Humane Society for Boone County: Petco in Whitestown, Saturday noon - 3 p.m.

This article will update.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Fishers animal shelter to host $10 adoption event on Saturday