The Animal Shelter Society did, indeed, Clear the Shelter.

Saturday was National Clear the Shelter Day, and the Animal Shelter along with the Muskingum County Dog Warden and Adoption Center held an event where sponsors donated the funds to allow people in the community to adopt an animal free of charge.

“All in all, it was a good day,” Jody Murray, Director of the Animal Shelter, said.

The shelter sent home all 108 animals that were eligible for adoption. Compared to last years 92 animals adopted, there were 16 more adoptions made this year.

Many people were so eager to get the perfect animal that they started lining up at the night before. Two girls stood outside the shelter starting at 10 p.m. the night before the event to secure the first spot in line.

“Oh, I didn’t sleep,” Ondrea Umstott, one of the girls that arrived at the animal shelter at 10 p.m., said. “She (the other girl) slept for a couple hour in my car, but I was at the door, ready.”

The girls adopted two dogs called named Mary Jane and Nala.

Although the Dog Warden and Adoption Center didn’t “clear” the entire facility, it sent 15 dogs home to new families. Each family that adopted a dog was screened by volunteers to ensure that each dog was a perfect fit for their new companions.

“We didn’t expect to clear the whole pound,” Dog Warden Josh Martinez said. “We were really happy with the results we saw.”

The adoptions did cut down on crowding at the adoption center by leaving 21 dogs left in the kennels, Martinez said.