BARC, the City of Houston’s animal shelter and adoption facility, will waive almost all adoption fees throughout July as part of the Empty the Shelters event.

Sponsored by the BISSELL Pet Foundation, Empty the Shelters is a nationwide movement to help reduce the homeless pet population that involves 390 shelters across 44 states. Over 253,000 pets have been homed since the foundation started the event in 2016.

“Thanks to the Empty Shelters Campaign and BISSELL Pet Foundation, thousands of BARC animals have found their forever homes. This campaign comes at a critical time for BARC, as this summer our shelter has remained near capacity for both dogs and cats,” said BARC Shelter Director Jarrad Mears. “As intake continues to grow every year, strategic partnerships like these are crucial to ensuring that we find positive outcomes for our shelter pets.”

From July 2 to July 31, all fees are waived for the adoption of dogs, cats, and kittens. There is a reduced fee of $25 for the adoption of puppies. Prospective adopters must be 18 years or older and have valid proof of an address such as a driver’s license. BARC is closed for adoptions on Mondays, but urgent pet adoptions are still available through the 3200 Carr Street entrance. Information about adoptions can be found on BARC’s website.

Homeless pets remain a large and often dire problem in Houston. The recent documentary, For the Animals, produced by Alyssa Milano, estimates that there are a million stray animals in the greater metropolitan area.

In addition, extreme weather brought on by climate change is also affecting the homeless pet population. Sudden freezes, soaring temperatures, and hurricanes all take their toll on pets without shelter or access to water. Some pets are abandoned by owners when disaster strikes, further taxing the capacity of shelters.

“Shelters are struggling with a variety of challenges right now — some are evacuating pets because of wildfires, tornadoes, or even loss of air conditioning in extreme heat, and others are overcrowded and having to euthanize highly adoptable pets to make space, a tragic situation,” said Cathy Bissell, Founder of BISSELL Pet Foundation. “BISSELL Pet Foundation's upcoming summer national Empty the Shelters event is a crucial opportunity for people to make a real difference in their community through adoption. Every single adoption saves a life and creates space to save another. Please adopt and give a pet a chance it might otherwise not have. If you can't adopt, fostering saves lives when shelters are full. Deserving pets across the country are counting on all of us.”