ABC13's Pick Your Pet adoption drive finds forever homes for more than 150 animals

HOUSTON, Texas -- For the second year in a row, Eyewitness News viewers set a new record during ABC13's Pick Your Pet adoption drive.

We brought you updates last week from BARC Animal Shelter, which saw 153 animals placed in forever homes during our two-day event.

Last Friday, we kicked off our seventh drive with an urgent need for adoptive families, as BARC was overwhelmed with more than 300 animals, many of which had been surrendered or picked up off the streets in the days before Pick Your Pet.

"With the capacity being critical, we have to get pop-up temporary kennels for the pets," BARC division manager Amneris Diaz said. "We need our Houstonians to come out and adopt."

The shelter saw a huge response, with 102 animals adopted on the first day alone.

More viewers streamed through the shelter's gates Saturday, adding an additional 51 adoptions to the record book.

Our new record eclipses the total reached in 2023, which was 111 adoptions.

If you didn't get a chance to come out, BARC reports it is still at critical capacity and in need of adoptive families. You can learn how to adopt on BARC's website.

BARC is located at 3300 Carr St., in northeast Houston.