Madison Park

On Saturday, Graham and hundreds of other animals will be up for adoption at the Mega Adopt-a-thon, the last event at the Metrolina Tradeshow Expo. The event hopes to connect families with the perfect pet and to raise awareness of the overcrowding of shelters.

Thirty-eight percent of all animals brought into Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control were euthanized last year. Nearly half of all cats brought in would be put down. Euthanization is a reality for many shelters without the resources needed to keep all the animals they receive.

Beth Addison, from Partnership for Pets of Charlotte, says to free up space in shelters, most participating agencies will have discounted adoption rates. All of the animals will have been spayed and neutered. Many of the animals will also have been socialized and house trained.

This is the adopt-a-thon’s second year, with a little under 300 pets adopted over three days last year. About 2,000 people attended. The organizers hope to repeat their success, but have limited the event to just one day.