PLANT CITY, Fla. (WFLA) — Hundreds of four-legged friends found their fur-ever homes over the weekend in a multi-agency adoption event at the Florida Strawberry Festival Fairgrounds.

“They look at everybody like they’re just looking for a friend, and that’s the best thing I can say,” Mackenzie McCoy, who was hoping to adopt.

Adoption fees were waived along with vaccinations and microchips for the weekend.

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“Right now across the region all of the shelters are seeing an overcapacity of dogs,” said Chelsea Waldeck, director of Hillsborough County’s Pet Resource Center. “For us to have this event, bring together all the dogs to one location to make it easy for adopters to find what they’re looking for is really important.”

Waldeck says the resource center was at nearly 150% capacity before the event. She says eight different counties put their kennels together for the 3-day event to give families plenty of options.

“Honestly, she’s better than any person I’ve ever met,” McCoy said about her handheld pooch, Lottie. “Dogs, they have compassion for the world.”

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McCoy was looking to add to her pack, and others said they were making the big leap for the first time.

But some, like Oscar Cruz and his family, were hoping to open their hearts again after feeling the loss of a good dog.

“He was fun just, you come home, and you see his ears come up because I’m home,” said Cruz. “I had my dog for so long. It’s hard to explain. We’re emotional, you know… It’s kind of hard to move forward, but I think it’s time.”

After coming to all three adoption days over the weekend, Cruz says his family is thrilled to take home a new member of their family, ‘Rose’.

For those who missed out over the weekend, there are still plenty of adoptable dogs at their nearest animal shelter. Waldeck says they will continue to waive adoption fees at the Pet Resource Center for a few more dogs who weren’t able to find their match over the weekend.

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