It was another big year for Clear The Shelters.
NBCUniversal Local’s 12th annual pet adoption and donation campaign led to over 135,000 adoptions and raised more $480,000 in donations for participating shelters and rescues. The adoption push took place over the entire month of August, while the donation initiative was held from July 15 to Sept. 15.
Clear The Shelters has now driven nearly 1.5 million adoptions and raised more than $6 million in donations since launching in 2015.
“Clear The Shelters demonstrates what’s possible when our communities come together to help pets in need,” said Meredith McGinn, NBC Local’s EVP of diginets and original production, in a release.
“We’re proud of the meaningful impact this campaign continues to have for shelters and pets across the country, and grateful to Hill’s Pet Nutrition and all our partners who help make Clear The Shelters possible,” she added.
The 2026 campaign saw 100-plus NBC and Telemundo stations, including owned stations and affiliates, team up with over 1,200 shelters to promote adoptions and help raise money for those participating locations. The shelters were located across 47 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and Guam.
Highlights from the campaign included shelter dogs from a founding Clear The Shelters location attending the Texas Rangers’ Bark at the Park night; “The Hunger Games” actor Josh Hutcherson visiting a California shelter as he advocated for adoptions; a life-saving airlift for 60 at-risk pets from strained shelters in Louisiana; and Stronger Shot Adoption Photos conducting pet photoshoots at around a dozen shelters in an effort to increase the animals’ adoption chances.
Globe Life Park hosted Bark in the Park. NBC 5’s Alicia Barrera introduces us to 10 adoptable dogs.
This year’s campaign also featured the return of several longtime Clear The Shelters partners in Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Greater Good Charities and WeRescue. It was the ninth straight campaign for Hill’s, but its first as the presenting sponsor.
The Black Dog, meanwhile, participated for the second consecutive year, releasing a limited-edition Clear The Shelters merchandise collection.
“As animal shelters across the country face unprecedented capacity pressures, programs like Clear The Shelters are more critical than ever in supporting pets and the organizations that care for them,” said Carrick Massey, senior VP of U.S. marketing at Hill’s. “For nine consecutive years, Hill’s has been proud to support the campaign’s mission to help more pets find a loving home, an effort made possible by the devoted campaign partners and shelters who continue to show up for animals in need.”
Stronger Shot Adoption Photos is teaming up with Clear The Shelters to give shelter pets professional photos and videos designed to help them make a stronger first impression on potential adopters.
For more information on Clear The Shelters, including participating shelters, along with details on local events and television programming, visit ClearTheShelters.com and the Spanish-language site DesocuparlosAlbergues.com. Follow Clear The Shelters on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
