San Diego

Thousands of Dogs Find ‘Fur-Ever' Homes in SoCal at ‘Clear the Shelters' Event

Many shelters across Southern California participated in Saturday's nationwide pet adoption drive

It was love at first sight for Elizabeth Vroom. She saw the little black chihuahua at the shelter on Friday, and returned Saturday and adopted him.

"I have a new best son," she said, while cradling the doggy in her car at a shelter in Orange County participating in the "Clear the Shelters" event on Saturday. "He's my boy."

Thousands of pets found new homes at the third annual Clear the Shelters nationwide pet adoption drive which kicked off at 10 a.m.

Gloria Baca cried with her new cat at a shelter in Pasadena. She adopted the gray feline on Friday.

Her previous cat died two months ago.

"I treat it like a kid," she said through tears. "Animals are so beautiful."

The Jimenez and Eveler families went to a Riverside County shelter to adopt. They were in a raffle for a dog

But someone else got it, then backed out so they got the dog they wanted after all.

"I cried because I got him and I wanted him!" said Genieve Jimenez.

They are naming him Bolt.

Louise Moores, 24, walked into a shelter into a shelter in Long Beach and said, "I'm looking for a big furry cat."

She got the cat, Mufasa, a 24-pounder, and posed for a photo with the fluffy feline.

Joanna Lemus and her son Brandon Lopez, 7, adopted an 8-month old puppy at the Los Angeles City East Valley Animal Shelter. They named the small, curly-haired dog Peluche, which means stuffed animal in Spanish. 

Marshall, an 11-year-old Beagle mix, will settle into his new home in Carson. The family with two young children adopted the older dog at the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA because they felt that age is just a number. 

At the same shelter, Tux, who stole our hearts after his Friday morning appearance on "Today in LA," also found a forever home.

The large black dog first captured our attention when NBC Los Angeles reporter Jonathan Gonzalez asked him for a sound byte early Friday morning. Tux responded with a bite of his own, and snagged the wind screen off Gonzalez's microphone.

On Saturday, Tux was recognized as "the dog that bit the microphone" and cheered after he walked out of the Pasadena Humane Society sporting a red bandana on a leash held by his new owner.

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