TETERBORO - At 12:45 p.m. Saturday, 15 minutes before Bergen County's Animal Shelter and Adopter Center officially opened the doors for its 10th Annual Clear the Shelters no-fee weekend, there was a line almost a dozen deep of people seeking animals and half dozen or so inside filling out forms.
Some like Darren and Gloria Lecock of Washington or Ridgewood's Ellen Monahan were on hand to see if they could find a dog. Both wanted small pooches and were there to take advantage of the shelter's promotion to waive adoption fees.
Monahan said that this is her second foray. After her recent visit to the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge Inc. in Oakland, she decided widen her search.
Ideally she wanted to find a silky Yorkie, but sounded like she'd settle for a small dog if the match was right.
"I am here to adopt some love," she said.
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They were among the scores of prospective pet owners who by 1:30 were jammed into the shelter, just a few blocks from Teterboro Airport.
Shelter Manager Bob Bergamini said Clear the Shelter is among the biggest adoption events each year.
Last year during the month-long Clear the Shelter event, the shelter saw event 24 dogs and 144 cats, two birds and two guinea pigs adopted.
They offer discounts on adoption fees from Aug. 10 to Sept. 10 and for this weekend, all fees are waived.
Normally the shelter charges $200 for puppies under 6 months, $150 for dogs under 6 years and $100 for dogs older than 6 years.
Ideally by the end of the month all 60 of the no-kill shelter's remaining adoptable dogs and 90 or so cats — plus another eight rabbits — will have found good homes. Before the doors opened Saturday, they had already found homes for 20 dogs and 44 cats.
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To adopt an animal requires that perspective owners go through a screening process. The shelter wants to know if the adopters own their own homes or rent. If they rent, they want to see a lease or letter from the landlord permitting pets.
If a dog is to join a family, they want all family members present to see how Fido interacts with family members or, if there's another pooch in the family already, how well the two dogs get along. Prior pet owners should also have a letter of recommendation from their veterinarian.
In general, Bergamini said they see more cats adopted than dogs, probably because cats are easier to care for.
Dogs, he said, require a match of human and dog personalities. People also tend to like smaller dogs.
He also said that in recent years, shelters from across the country are seeing an influx of more animals being abandoned. Most of the dogs that wind up in Teterboro came from the 52 towns they service.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: 'Here to adopt some love': Bergen animal shelter no-fee weekend helps people pick pets
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