Let's face it — the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care (BARC, if brevity is your thing) isn't always exactly viewed as one of the good guys in the otherwise warm and fuzzy realm of animal adoption. With past allegations of abuse, neglect, and overzealous euthanizing, it's hard for your bite not to be sharper than your BARC.

But in the end, the bottom line is those sweet, furry creatures that want to stick their wet muzzles in your palms, lick your faces and call you their moms or dads.

And there are far too many of them at BARC right now.

In fact, the shelter is beyond beyond capacity, with 671 dogs and cats in an establishment designed to hold 550. If you're thinking, "Yikes!" you're absolutely on par.

Needless to say, there are a lot of paws getting stepped on. And one thing's for certain — these puppies have gotta go.

But hopefully, the only place they're going to is a good home. This Saturday, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., BARC is hosting its biggest adoption party to date, the Pet Blessing and Howl-O-Ween Festival, at its shelter north of downtown.

If you find the event's tagline, "Our pets bless us with their unconditional love, and now it is our turn to bless them!" a bit, um, spiritual, you'd be barking up the right tree.

But when you've got an excess of living souls to manage, prayers are certainly in order. And BARC's partner in the event, the Episcopal Diocese of Houston, will be on hand to dole out the non-denominational party favors.

"Many of our Episcopal churches do pet blessings each October to celebrate St. Francis Day, and we're delighted to take that tradition to BARC," Carol Barnwell, communication director for the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, said in a press release.

While some of the focus may be on the celestial, the real temptations are on Earth. Not only does the bow-wow include free food and free drinks, but between face and pumpkin painting, a pet costume contest, a bounce house, and microchipping, the command is quite clear — c'mere, Houston, Houston, Houston!

Put any hard feelings aside, and treat your tricks to a rescued puppy (or kitty!) this Halloween. Because the alternative fate for many of these shelter animals is far more terrifying than any haunted house.