The Animal Rescue League is closing in on its 2008 goal of finding homes for 5,000 pets, with 85 left to adopt as of Thursday.

The "Drive for Five" campaign's goal is to exceed last year's placement of 4,816 animals.

The league's kennels are now at capacity with "an expansive variety of dogs, puppies, cats, kittens, rabbits, and other small animals, such as ferrets," according to a recent statement.

To promote adoptions, Tifanie Tiberio, the league's marketing director, and a few of the league's pets visited the holiday tent on Walnut Street in Shadyside yesterday.

"We are not encouraging spontaneous adoptions but people who have been thinking about it and thinking that now might be a good time, when you're home for the holidays and can help the pet [settle in]," she said.

She said the staff has been aggressive to reach the goal this year, appearing with animals in public places and holding promotions to bring people into the shelter. It also relies on foster families to take animals that need shelter breaks and when shelters reach capacity.

The league, as do other shelters, microchips, spays and neuters adoptive animals and subsidizes the cost in its rates, which vary.

At Animal Friends, the only shelter that does not euthanize, the numbers always are smaller. The agency has placed 2,436 dogs, cats and rabbits this year, with a goal of 2,500.

"The adoption process takes longer with us becasue we have to rehabilitate some of our animals before they can be fostered or adopted," said Jolene Miklas, Animal Friends' spokeswoman.

The Western Pennsylvania Humane Society placed 5,571 animals in 2008 and expects to reach 5,600 by year's end, said executive director Lee Nesler. She said numbers are up, in part because of the economy.

"We are seeing more surrenders," she said. "One guy was off his job and had two dogs. He came in with one, saying he couldn't feed both and he was literally in tears. It's hard to see people making these decisions. I hope that through all the shelters and the awareness we're building that people will make the choice to save a life instead of going to a breeder."