At an adjacent desk, Matt and Mary Rose Tweedie of Billerica were becoming proud parents of 4-month-old, tiger-striped kittens.

"Two little boys," said Mary Rose, exuding a joyful glow.

The Tweedies planned to return in a few days to adopt a third kitten.

"A nice little family," said Mary Rose.

To reduce the number of animals that need to be evacuated before Friday, when Lowell launches its Fourth of July fireworks from a field a few hundred feet away, the Lowell Humane Society held an "adopt-a-thon" yesterday.

With so many animals surrendered by owners battered by the economy, and the usual summertime load of abandoned dogs and kittens, the animal count inside the shelter hit 168 yesterday morning.

Inhabitants include dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, ferrets and birds. But most abundant were cats filling crates in every available space.

Fireworks terrorize these animals, stressed already about being caged in a shelter, explained Chris Arnott, the society's community-outreach coordinator. These animals have no beds to run under when the grand finale explodes over the Merrimack.

About 40 animals were evacuated before the city's fireworks last July 4. This year it looked like an evacuation would not be necessary. Lowell's fireworks seemed a logical victim of the economy. But the fireworks were financially rescued last week, setting into motion a dog-and-cat Dunkirk.

"I would have been happy not to have the fireworks this year," admitted Jill O'Connell, executive director of the Lowell Humane Society. "We've had to plan this evacuation in a limited time."

The city will handle the transportation, says O'Connell. The few dogs in the shelter will be moved Friday morning to the Chelmsford animal-control facility. The cats will be evacuated Friday afternoon to a city garage on Stedman Street.

The cats will be brought back late Friday night, immediately after the fireworks. The dogs will return Saturday morning. The need for loving families to adopt these animals will remain constant.

"Doesn't it make you feel good looking at someone enjoying a nice little animal like that?" said Mary Rose Tweedie, observing another visitor snuggling up to a kitten growing more irresistible.

Susan Wilson of Hudson, N.H., arrived with a friend and was not looking to adopt another cat. But she was having difficulty putting down Bruce, a double-pawed kitten.

Wilson had been looking for such a kitten for three years. In the meantime, she adopted two cats, "a little snowshoe and a Siamese."

"This is a terrible decision," groaned a smiling Wilson, cuddling up to Bruce.

Wilson finally called her daughter to see if she might be able to watch a third cat when Wilson vacations in Florida. She held Bruce close as she waited to hear back.

Bruce was still in the shelter last night.

"We would have liked to have been a little busier," O'Connell said at the close of the day. "But we did send some animals home."

Adopted were a lovebird, a pit bull, three guinea pigs and five cats.

Adoptions are still pending on two other dogs and three other cats.

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Information from The Sun