Pet of the Week puts a spotlight on a furry friend who is available for adoption at the Lawrence Humane Society at the time of the article’s publication. According to ASPCA, dog adoption numbers are down nationwide, which adds additional strain on shelters that are already struggling to accommodate high volumes of animals. Lawrence Humane is no exception.
Through Pet of the Week, readers can learn about a pup before they visit the shelter. The featured furball is selected by shelter staff members, who provide all details on the animal’s personality and history.
Saturday is Clear the Shelter Day, meaning this round of Pet of the Week is a special, expanded edition to feature 13 pups who get a little stage fright — their adoption fees are already waived.
Clear the Shelter Day is a nationwide effort to get shelter animals, including cats and dogs, into homes by waiving all adoption fees. Last year’s event saw 131 animals walk out the door on the day, plus 13 dogs whose adoption fees were waived in advance. 163 total furry friends were adopted in 2023.
This year, LHS aims to see 150 animals of all stripes adopted in one day.
“Clear the Shelter is really meaningful, just because it is this nationwide effort to get more animals into homes and also get more people matched up with the animals that are going to bring joy and love into their lives,” said Elina Alterman, director of development and communications for the shelter.
She said that every year, LHS receives messages of concern around Clear the Shelter Day. Folks are often worried that no adoption fees mean that animals are going to families that will not care for them or will potentially abuse them. Alterman said there’s a perception that if someone pays in, they see more value in the animal.
The numbers prove otherwise. According to Alterman, the shelter sees a nearly identical rate of return, as well as incidents of abuse or neglect, for animals adopted during Clear the Shelter Day compared to any other time of the year. She attributes this success to strong adoption counselors, who work through the chaos of the day to ensure the best possible match is made.
The shelter does, however, see an uptick in messages from past Clear the Shelter Day adopters, who provide loving updates on how their furry friends are doing since being adopted for free.
“I think that the folks who are participating — it’s not that they can’t afford to have any animal, it’s that they want to be part of an effort to help,” Alterman said.
Free adoption logistics
Clear the Shelter day is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, but will wrap up earlier if all animals get adopted.
The shelter warns that anyone eyeing a particular pet should think about adopting them now, as animals go quickly on Clear the Shelter Day.
Adoption hours will look different this week, leading up to the event:
- Wednesday, Aug. 20: noon to 6 p.m.
- Thursday, Aug. 21: noon to 4 p.m.
- Friday, Aug. 22: Closed to prepare for Clear the Shelter Day
These furry friends have their fees waived right now
With many animals and humans going through the doors, Clear the Shelter Day can lead to an overstimulating environment where not all dogs might thrive. Hence, thirteen dogs have had their fees waived early this year.
“We want to make sure we’re doing right by these amazing animals by giving them the best opportunity to find great homes in a calmer, slower manner, while still honoring the promise of a fee-waived adoption,” according to an LHS newsletter.
Here are the dogs that you can adopt for free right now. They are all spayed, vaccinated and microchipped. Click any name to learn more about them from the shelter.
All information and photos are courtesy of the Lawrence Humane Society.
Past pup update
Previous Pets of the Week Marley, Kiba and Big Gulp are still looking for their forever homes. Their adoption fees are $25 until Saturday, when they will have no fees as part of Clear the Shelter Day.
Those interested in adopting the pups with fees waived early can email the Lawrence Humane Society’s adoptions team at adoptions@lawrencehumane.org or call 785-843-6835.
People can also go straight to the shelter at 1805 E. 19th St. to meet the dogs. See above for the Humane Society’s updated adoption hours this week.
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Wulfe Wulfemeyer (they/them), reporter and news editor, has worked with The Lawrence Times since May 2025. They can be reached at wulfe@lawrencekstimes.com.
Read their complete bio here. Read their work for the Times here.
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