One day a year Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, home of numerous exotic animals, becomes a temporary haven for dozens of domestic dogs and cats looking for homes.

The 10th annual Meet Your Best Friend at the Zoo event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 12, during which visitors can meet more than 100 adoptable pets from 20 local animal shelters and rescue groups.

The event is free and takes place on the Zoo's Ticket Plaza. For health and safety reasons, visitors should leave their current pets at home.

Representatives will be on hand to offer advice on how to choose the right pet for you and how best to care for it. Each shelter sets its own adoption fees and policies, and some require a waiting period.

Since the event's inception in 2011, more than 750 cats, dogs, kittens and puppies have been found good homes this way. The Zoo is easily accessible from Interstates 71, 77, 90 and 480. To learn more, call 216-661-6500.

-- Sandra M. Klepach, SKlepach@News-Herald.com

P.S. This will likely be my last blog for Pets Unleashed, as I will be leaving The News-Herald tomorrow to become communications specialist with Geauga Park District. With future pet news, please e-mail fellow blogger Robin Palmer at rpalmer@news-herald.com. Readers, thanks for your support of the blog, and rescuers and shelters, your work is far more appreciated than you know! Keep it up!