Stella The Bulldog Touches Hearts: Montclair 'Clear The Shelters'

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The Montclair Township Animal Shelter found homes for 10 cats and 13 dogs during the annual “Clear the Shelters” event, township officials reported Tuesday.

Last weekend, the shelter participated in the annual adoption event, during which certain adoption fees are waived for dogs and cats.

This year, Stella – a special needs English bulldog – was among several furry residents of the shelter that made big impressions (see above photo).

“This has been an incredibly successful pet adoption drive,” Shelter Director Liz Morgan said. “We are especially thankful for the generous support from the Friends of the Montclair Township Animal Shelter, which enabled us to waive adoption fees during the event.”

According to a township news release, each year, organizers NBC and Telemundo stations across the country team up with shelters across the country for the nationwide pet adoption initiative. This year’s event, which kicked off Aug. 17, marked the fifth incarnation of the drive – a record-breaking event which saw a 22% increase in adoptions over last year, with 12,073 animals nationwide finding forever homes.

“NBC and Telemundo came out to videotape some of our pets during the drive,” Morgan said. “Clearly, Stella stole the show.” Watch the videos on NBCNewYork.com and Telemundo47.com.

The township-managed shelter provides animal control services for Montclair and supports about 1,000 lost, abandoned and surrendered animals per year, officials said.

• See related article: George To The Rescue: Montclair Prepares For 'Clear The Shelters'
• See related article: Rehab Complete At Montclair Animal Shelter After Devastating Fire

Don’t forget to visit the Patch Montclair Facebook page. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com