Day one of Willamette Humane Society's Clear the Shelters event draws crowds

As crowds started to form outside of the Willamette Humane Society for the first day of the Clear the Shelters event, Maddie Gertenrich had already been there for hours.

The 17-year-old, who was running on four hours of sleep, arrived at the shelter around 6:30 a.m. eager to make what would be the first adoption of the day — a kitten with special needs.

Aware there was a Clear the Shelters event happening, Gertenrich decided to visit the humane society on Thursday with her mother.

While they were looking around, Gertenrich heard a kitten making a fuss in one of the kennels. She went to the kennel and found the door unlocked. When she opened it, Muk, a 3-month-old domestic short-haired kitten, jumped on her. 

"We were just coming to look, but then we took him into one of the cat rooms to play with him and I just knew," she said. "He was doing flips and jumping, running around like, mad."

"He is everything I want."

Gertenrich quickly noticed the kitten, now named Bennett, was "cross-eyed." Michael Mustin, an animal care manager at the humane society, said this is due to a congenital disorder that caused his eyelids to form differently.

"It poses no medical risk," he said. "It just looks different."

Clinton Gertenrich, Maddie's father, said they had a family cat that died in July and he wasn't sure that enough time had passed. 

"But over the last week or so, I could just tell it would be good for our family," he said. 

"We needed a bit of kitty emotional support," Maddie added.

As Maddie, her brother, Drew, and Clinton left the shelter with their new forever friend, another group of prospective pet-parents started to shuffle into the lobby. 

"Clear the Shelters" is a national adoption drive being held at hundreds of shelters nationwide this weekend.

HERE'S THE DETAILS:Willamette Humane Society waiving, reducing adoption fees for two-day event Aug. 18-19

Betsy Bode, operations director at the humane society, said the goal was to place the 39 dogs and 143 cats at the shelter. As of Saturday evening, Bode said 37 cats and 15 dogs had found forever homes.

The event will continue Sunday, so the opportunity to find a new best friend is still available.

"Lifelong fan of cats" said Linda Gilbert, who has been volunteering at the shelter for a few weeks and is currently fostering two kittens herself. She is happy to see animals getting adopted.

"(Our goal is) to clear the shelves," she continued. "(The event) seems to be doing what it is meant to; people are coming in without a dog or cat and leaving with one."

Abby Luschei is the entertainment reporter for the Statesman Journal; she can be reached at aluschei@statesmanjournal.com or 503-399-6747. Follow her on Twitter @abbyluschei or facebook.com/luscheiabby. 

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If you go 

What: Adoption fees for cats will be waived and fees for dogs will be reduced by 50 percent during this two-day adoption event, hosted in collaboration with NBC and Telemundo owned stations' "Clear the Shelters" campaign.

When: noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug.19

Location: Willamette Humane Society, 4246 Turner Road SE, Salem

Parking: At the shelter and their event parking lot, 4077 37th Avenue, Salem

Information: whs4pets.org/shelter-closure-friday-august-17th