Loudoun animal services hosts “Clear the Shelters” on Aug. 23

Loudoun County Animal Services will host a “Clear the Shelters” fee-waived pet adoption event on Saturday, Aug. 23, in participation with the nationwide, “Clear the Shelters” adoption initiative. This year marks the 11th anniversary of NBCUniversal Local’s pet adoption initiative, which has helped more than 1 million pets find new homes.

To celebrate, LCAS will waive adoption fees for all available pets, including cats, kittens, dogs, rabbits, small pets and livestock. The event will take place at the Loudoun County Animal Shelter, 42225 Adoption Drive in Leesburg, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.   

To date in 2025, LCAS has seen a 17% increase in owner-surrendered animals over last year. “In many of these cases, these animals had loving families whose personal circumstances, such as economic issues and even homelessness, changed their abilities to keep their beloved pets,” says Shelter Operations Manager Melissa Heard, “We are hopeful this event will help us find new families who will love them just as much as their previous ones.”

In addition to adoptions, other event activities will include a kids’ craft station and giveaways for all adopters, including supplies, treats and toys. Prospective adopters can view available pets online at loudoun.gov/AvailablePets. The standard adoption screening process still applies during this promotion; most adoptions can be completed on the same day. 

All dogs, cats and rabbits adopted from LCAS are spayed or neutered and receive a microchip registered to their adopter. Dogs and cats also receive age-appropriate vaccinations and a coupon for a free GPS tracker. Dogs go home with a voucher for four free group training sessions. The shelter frequently has many pets available for adoption including hamsters, guinea pigs, birds, rabbits, other small pets and livestock. 

More information about Loudoun County Animal Services is online at loudoun.gov/animals.