BARC, the City of Houston’s Animal Shelter and Adoption Center, is joining animal shelters across the country for the 10th anniversary of BISSELL Pet Foundation’s Empty the Shelters®, a nationwide reduced-fee adoption event aimed at helping more pets find permanent homes.

Running May 1 through May 17, the event is led by BISSELL Pet Foundation, a national animal welfare organization focused on ending pet homelessness. More than 335 shelters in 39 states are participating in the 2026 effort, including BARC Animal Shelter and Adoptions.

During the event, BISSELL Pet Foundation will sponsor reduced adoption fees for cats and dogs, making it more affordable for Houston families to adopt a new pet. All animals available for adoption are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped.

At BARC, adoption fees during Empty the Shelters will be reduced to $55 for puppies four months old or younger, $30 for dogs five months and older, and $10 for all cats and kittens.

Adoption fees also include spay or neuter surgery, deworming, age-appropriate vaccinations, rabies vaccination, flea prevention, a pet microchip, and a one-year pet registration with the City of Houston.

To help more families take part, BARC is also expanding its schedule by opening on Mondays during the event, a day the shelter is typically closed. Adoption hours will run daily from noon to 5 p.m. from May 1 through May 17.

Since launching in 2016, Empty the Shelters has become the nation’s largest funded adoption event and has helped nearly 400,000 pets find homes across the United States and Canada. Organizers say the effort not only connects animals with families, but also creates more shelter space for incoming pets and provides relief for overcrowded animal shelters.

BARC officials say the need remains high as many Houston families continue facing financial challenges, increasing pressure on the city’s shelter system. Reduced fees and expanded access are designed to remove barriers and encourage more adoptions during the two-week campaign.

Residents interested in adopting can visit BARC at 3300 Carr St. and learn more through the City of Houston’s adoption page.