Clear The Shelters: A Look Back

For the third year in a row, NBC 5 is teaming up with animal shelters across North Texas in an effort to Clear the Shelters and find loving homes for thousands of pets in need. [[385880811,R]]

With the third annual Clear the Shelters just a few weeks away, families who adopted furever friends last year are looking back on how that day changed their lives forever.

Sue Murray adopted the 3-year-old Australian cattle dog, Tisha, during a time she needed a companion most. "I adopted [Tisha] 9 months after my husband passed away and six months after my last shelter dog, Raya, died of pancreatitis,"said Murray.

"Tisha was very rambunctious. She would escape out the front door or back gate every chance she got to chase rabbits. I could never catch her, so I would sit on a bench in the park next to the house and wait until she tired of the chase. Then she would stand and let me put a leash on her. She has calmed down substantially and I think she now understands this is her forever home. She is still very clever, however. I have to warn pet sitters to never let her get behind you when walking because she figured out how to back out of her harness and do a walk-about. As I write this, she is on her dog bed on the floor, keeping me company as I work. She is a blessing"

For another family, their furever friend became a best-friend, a guardian for their toddler, and "a big lapdog." Melody Weller's toddler renamed their dog Pedro, and he is "spoiled rotten."

Pedro2 — "Pedro is a wonderful dog, and I don't know what we'd do without him."

"When we met him, he laid his head in our (then) two month old's carseat and kissed her," Weller said. "Now he follows that (now) one year old everywhere, and lends himself to the toddler when food is in question.He's one of four pets, but he definitely completed the family, after losing another pet a few months prior, he came in, helped us heal, and has made our house complete again.

Many pet owners feel their family is complete after adopting a new furry friend during Clear the Shelters.

Bella8 — "Bella has grown to be the most loving dog in the world."

Bella's owner said, "She plays so well with my daughter, loves to lay in my lap and chew on me and gets along great with our dog as well as others when we take her to the dog park. She rescued us as much as we rescued her."

"Great around kids," "has the best temperament," and "sharp as a tack" are just a few ways that Joey Prochaska described his energetic pup, Power.

"After adopting Power last August, our new family has been better than we could have ever imagined," said Prochaska. "We spend most of our time jogging around the lake, we call it going for a "dog-jog", roller-blading, hanging on the patio or just being outside in general."

Above all else, Clear the Shelters is a day that encourages and promotes rescuing pets from animal shelters across the country.

[UGCDFW-CJ-shelter dogs]New Family — "Power has literally changed our lives and we are excited to provide any help or support for the CTS cause where possible. "

"We love Chief and he loves his new home," Courtney Waddle, another pet parent, exclaimed. "I volunteered at Noah's Ark last year during Clear the Shelters and it was amazing. I got teary eyed every time one of the animals got a new forever home to go to. It's an amazing event and North Texas is so fortunate to be able to do this and get so many involved. My husband and I won't get any other dog other than rescues from now on!"