photo by: Lawrence Humane Society

Cerce is ready for free adoption at the Lawrence Humane Society.

The Lawrence Humane Society’s annual Clear the Shelter Day is scheduled for Sept. 7, when all adoption fees will be waived.

Typically, adoption fees for adult dogs are approximately $150, $300 for puppies, $60 for adult cats and $125 for kittens.

photo by: Lawrence Humane Society

Howard is ready for free adoption at the Lawrence Humane Society.

Over the last several years, Lawrence Humane has had anywhere from 70 to nearly 200 animals adopted on Clear the Shelter Day, according to the Humane Society. Last year, 163 animals were adopted – 99 cats and 64 dogs. This year, Lawrence Humane’s goal is to make sure that a minimum of 175 animals (75 dogs and 100 cats) are sleeping in their new homes at the end of the day.

Every animal that is adopted goes home spayed or neutered, fully vaccinated and dewormed, and microchipped, along with a collar, leash and starter bag of Hill’s Science Diet pet food.

Clear the Shelter Day will begin at 10 a.m. and will end at 6 p.m., or earlier if all animals are adopted. Potential adopters will need to line up outside the front doors at 1805 E. 19th St., and staff will allow entry into the building in waves. Adoption counselors will be able to help potential adopters assess animal behaviors, such as a dog’s or cat’s compatibility with another pet in the home.

In addition to all animals’ adoption fees being waived on Sept. 7, Lawrence Humane is also waiving adoption fees for certain animals from now until Sept. 5 (adoptions are not available on Sept. 6). These are mostly dogs (and likely a few cats) who are “wonderful companions, but have a harder time in more high-intensity, stressful situations like Clear the Shelter,” according to Elina Alterman, the shelter’s director of development and communications.

photo by: Lawrence Humane Society

Blueberry is ready for free adoption at the Lawrence Humane Society.

“We want to make sure that we’re doing right by them and giving them the best opportunity to find great homes in a calmer, slower manner, while still honoring the promise of a fee-waived adoption,” Alterman said.

Alterman encouraged people to not wait until Clear the Shelter Day if they have their eye on a particular pet, as there is no guarantee that the animal will still be available on that day.

“If they’re interested in a particular animal, we encourage them to go ahead and meet the animal and move forward with the adoption process now,” she said. “While they might have to pay an adoption fee, given that the animals are all spayed/neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and dewormed, it is still quite the good deal.”

The local Clear the Shelter Day is part of a nationwide pet adoption campaign that is spearheaded by NBCUniversal in partnership with Hill’s Pet Nutrition.

For more information, go online to lawrencehumane.org.

photo by: Lawrence Humane Society

Apollo is ready for free adoption at the Lawrence Humane Society.