‘Clear The Shelters’ Has Led to Nearly 1.5 Million Adoptions and Raised More Than $6 Million in Donations Since 2015
NEW YORK – Sept. 17, 2026 – The 2026 Clear The Shelters Presented by Hill’s Pet Nutrition, NBCUniversal Local’s nationwide pet adoption and donation initiative, helped more than 135,000 pets, and counting, find new homes and raised nearly $500,000 for participating animal shelters. Since its 2015 inception, Clear The Shelters has now led to nearly 1.5 million pet adoptions and raised more than $6 million in donations.
“Clear The Shelters demonstrates what’s possible when our communities come together to help pets in need,” said Meredith McGinn, NBCUniversal Local’s EVP of Diginets & Original Production and Clear The Shelters leader. “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.”
The 2026 Clear The Shelters was hosted by more than 100 NBC and Telemundo stations, which partnered with more than 1,200 shelters in 153 markets across 47 states, D.C., Puerto Rico and Guam. The 2026 adoption campaign was held from Aug. 1 to 31, with fundraising taking place July 15 to Sept. 15.
“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 Vice President of U.S. Marketing at Hill’s Pet Nutrition. “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.”
2026 Partners, Features & Highlights –
Presenting Sponsor
Hill’s Pet Nutrition, a global leader in science-based pet nutrition and leading supporter of animal welfare, returned for the ninth consecutive year as a partner of Clear The Shelters, and for the first time as the presenting sponsor of the annual pet adoption and donation campaign. Hill’s Pet Nutrition supported Clear The Shelters campaign activities, along with providing adoption kits to help new pet parents at select participating shelters, which included starter bags of Hill’s Science Diet, coupons, and other supplies.
Online Fundraising
Fundraising for the 2026 Clear The Shelters was once again led by Greater Good Charities, a global nonprofit and longtime campaign partner. Donations to the general fund were accepted from July 15 through Sept. 15, and donations directly to individual shelters were made Aug. 1 to 31 at ClearTheSheltersFund.org.
Virtual Adoptions
WeRescue also returned for the eighth consecutive year as the exclusive technology partner of Clear The Shelters. The WeRescue website and apps let users browse adoptable pets in their area by breed, gender, size, and more, apply to adopt, and ask questions directly to shelters.
Merchandise
The Black Dog partnered with Clear The Shelters for the second year. The restaurant and apparel company allowed customers to donate to the Clear The Shelters fund by rounding up their total for purchases. The Black Dog created a special collection of Clear The Shelters-branded merchandise and donated 50 percent of the proceeds to the fund, and hosted adoption events at their retail locations.
NBC & Telemundo Specials
NBC and Telemundo-Owned stations each debuted Clear The Shelters television specials on Aug. 7. The NBC Clear The Shelters special, which aired on NBC stations nationwide, featured high-profile celebrities led by the star of Universal Pictures’ The Odyssey, Matt Damon, while the Telemundo Desocupar los Albergues special also debuted Aug. 7. Viewers can watch the NBC Clear The Shelters special on Peacock here.
For more information on Clear The Shelters visit ClearTheShelters.com and the Spanish-language site DesocuparlosAlbergues.com. Follow Clear The Shelters on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
About Clear The Shelters
NBCUniversal Local’s Clear The Shelters™ is an annual nationwide pet adoption and donation campaign held each August. As part of the initiative, NBC- and Telemundo-owned and affiliated stations partner with animal shelters and rescues in communities across the U.S. to promote pet adoption and raise funds for participating shelters. Since its 2015 inception, Clear The Shelters has led to nearly 1.5 million pet adoptions and raised more than $6 million. Longtime campaign supporters include Hill’s Pet Nutrition, a national sponsor for nine consecutive years and presenting sponsor in 2026, Greater Good Charities and WeRescue. Clear The Shelters was inspired by a 2014 North Texas pet adoption event hosted by NBC 5 / KXAS and Telemundo 39 / KXTX. For more information, visit ClearTheShelters.com.
About NBCUniversal Local
NBCUniversal Local, part of NBCUniversal News Group, is comprised of more than 50 media properties, including local TV stations and regional sports networks that deliver English- and Spanish-speaking audiences in 30 U.S. markets and Puerto Rico comprehensive news, weather, consumer and investigative reporting, lifestyle and entertainment content and live sports coverage across TV, streaming and digital platforms. NBCUniversal Local consists of three media groups – NBC Owned Television Stations, NBC Sports Regional Networks and Telemundo Station Group – plus multicast networks COZI TV, NBC True CRMZ, and TeleXitos, and 18 free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels – including 11 NBC local news, five Telemundo regional news channels, Telemundo Puerto Rico and NBC LX Home. NBCUniversal Local also features NBC Spot On, an advanced CTV and OTT advertising platform; LXTV Productions; marketing and promotions company Skycastle; out-of-home business NBC Everywhere; and The Arthouse, a graphic design group.
MEDIA CONTACT
Brian Potter
Brian.Potter@nbcuni.com
