photo by: Ashley Golledge

Phillip Rodriguez holds his new puppy, Delly, during the Lawrence Humane Society's Clear the Shelter event on Saturday, August 17, 2019. Rodriguez said he arrived at the animal shelter at 4 a.m. to be the first person in line for the adoption event.

Phillip Rodriguez arrived at the Lawrence Humane Society at 4:30 a.m. Saturday determined to get a dog.

By the time the Humane Society opened its doors for the Clear the Shelters adoption event at 10 a.m., he was at the front of a long line. But his patience paid off when he found and adopted Delly, a three-month-old golden retriever/great Pyrenees mix.

“I’ve never had a dog, actually,” he said. “My fiancée has always had a dog. We’re starting our life together, and we wanted a dog to be a part of that.”

They talked over options and decided on a golden retriever, Rodriguez said. They had looked at several kennels and shelters in the Kansas City area before finding Delly at the Lawrence shelter.

“This worked out great for us,” he said. “She’s a nice dog. She’s going to get big.”

photo by: Ashley Golledge

Two-month-old Delly, a Labrador retriever and Great Pyrenees mix, waits for his new owner to fill out adoption paperwork at the Lawrence Humane Society’s Clear the Shelter event on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019.

Kirk Putman, the Humane Society’s interim leader, said Delly was one of 150 dogs and cats that found new homes at the annual event, at which people can adopt animals free of charge.

“It’s our biggest adoption day of the year,” said Putman, who has been in his interim position for two months and expects to stay on for at least another four months as the Lawrence Humane Society board conducts a nationwide search for a new executive director. “It’s a huge day for us, not only because of the animals adopted but the increase in awareness.”

The Lawrence animal shelter was one of 1,100 nationwide participating in Clear the Shelters, said Michael LaFave, the Humane Society’s director of development. He said the event, now in its third year, was scheduled at a particularly optimal time for Lawrence.


”It’s a nationwide event, and we don’t have any control over the scheduling, but it does occur just as students are returning to KU and families are moving to town,” he said. “That does work out well for us because a lot of people are looking for a new pet.”

photo by: Ashley Golledge

Lawrence Humane Society volunteer Erinn Waldron holds 3-month-old domestic shorthair kitten Wren during the Lawrence Humane Society’s Clear the Shelter event on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019.

photo by: Ashley Golledge

Lawrence Humane Society volunteer Tessa Collar plays with 3-month-old domestic shorthair kitten Wren during the Humane Society’s Clear the Shelter event on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019.

photo by: Ashley Golledge

Dozens of people wait outside of the Lawrence Humane Society on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019, to adopt animals at the Humane Society’s Clear the Shelter event.

The Humane Society mobilized all of its 33 employees for the big day, and nearly all of the shelter’s 100 volunteers played a role in pairing visitors with dogs and cats, said Alicia Godwin, the Humane Society’s volunteer coordinator.

Although the shelter found homes for all 150 of its available pets by 4 p.m. Saturday, it will be open Monday with more cats and dogs ready for adoption, Putman said.

“We always have people bringing in strays or surrender pets, especially strays,” he said. “We’re also able to take in the overflow populations of other shelters in the area, so we will have pets from those shelters.”

photo by: Ashley Golledge

Helen White and Ken Stevens pose with their newly adopted dog, Louise, at the Lawrence Humane Society’s Clear the Shelter event on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019.

photo by: Ashley Golledge

Louise, a 5-month-old American bulldog mix, is petted by her new owner Helen White at the Lawrence Humane Society’s Clear the Shelter event on Saturday, August 17, 2019.

photo by: Ashley Golledge

Melinda Zhang, 7, shows a stuffed animal to a puppy at the Lawrence Humane Society’s Clear the Shelter event on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019.

photo by: Ashley Golledge

Two-month-old domestic shorthair kittens Miles and Parker take a nap during the Humane Society’s Clear the Shelter event on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019.

photo by: Ashley Golledge

Five-year-old domestic shorthair cat MooMoo peers out from his kennel at the Lawrence Humane Society’s Clear the Shelter event on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019.

photo by: Ashley Golledge

Nine-year-old Hoover, left, and 11-year-old Nala, wait to be adopted at the Lawrence Humane Society’s Clear the Shelter event on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019.

photo by: Ashley Golledge

River, a 2-year-old domestic shorthair cat, waits to be adopted at the Lawrence Humane Society’s Clear the Shelter event on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019.

photo by: Ashley Golledge

River, a 2-year-old domestic shorthair cat, waits to be adopted at the Lawrence Humane Society’s Clear the Shelter event on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019.

photo by: Ashley Golledge

Mr. Jones, a 5-year-old domestic shorthair cat, waits to be adopted at the Lawrence Humane Society’s Clear the Shelter event on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019.

photo by: Ashley Golledge

Fannie, a 1-year-old domestic shorthair cat, waits to be adopted at the Lawrence Humane Society’s Clear the Shelter event on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019.

photo by: Ashley Golledge

Lawrence Humane Society volunteer Erinn Waldron holds Bagheera, a 5-month-old domestic shorthair kitten, at the Humane Society’s Clear the Shelter event on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019.