Catawba County Animal Services is waiving adoption fees for cats and dogs this Friday and Saturday, June 30 and July 1. This is being done in conjunction with the fifth National Adoption Weekend promoted by leading animal welfare organization Best Friends Animal Society.

The Catawba County Animal Shelter, located at 201 Government Services Drive in Newton, is open 11 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Adoptable pets can be met in person at the shelter or viewed online at https://24petconnect.com/ by entering the Newton zip code 28658.

Shelters across the country are experiencing an increase in animal populations and adoption rates aren’t keeping pace. That’s why Best Friends Animal Society and nearly 600 shelter and rescue partners have joined together for the national event. A news release from Catawba County says at a time when so many shelters across the country are short-staffed and well over capacity, individuals can help save lives by choosing to adopt a deserving pet from a shelter or rescue group instead of purchasing from a breeder or store.

For more information, visit the Animal Services page at the county website, www.CatawbaCountyNC.gov, or follow Catawba County Animal Services on Facebook at @catawbacoanimalservices.