Clear the Shelters Archives

2019 Clear the Shelters event results in more than 135,000 pet adoptions

August 22, 2019

The following is a press release from NBCUniversal:

NBC and Telemundo owned stations’ Clear the Shelters™ 2019 campaign resulted in the adoption of more than 135,000 pets – and counting – as shelters continue to report in. The campaign spanned from July 27, 2019 to August 17, 2019. This year’s pet adoption drive was held in more than 1,900 communities in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Hawaii. Clear The Shelters 2019 included the participation of more than 1,982 animal shelters/rescues, 98 NBC and Telemundo owned and affiliated stations, as well as several returning sponsors, and new partners. Clear the Shelters™ is spearheaded by NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, a division of NBCUniversal. Since 2015, more than 385,000 pets – and counting – have found new homes through NBC and Telemundo stations’ Clear The Shelters initiative.

“This year’s campaign exceeded all of our expectations and resulted in a record number of pet adoptions since we launched our initiative in 2015. We are incredibly thankful to our national sponsors Cat’s Pride and Hill’s Pet Nutrition, shelters/rescues and our NBCUniversal family for the outpouring of support that helped to create awareness about pets living in shelters, so they could find new homes,” said Valari Staab, President, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations. “To the thousands of people that supported our social media day on August 17, thank you for using your voices and influence to create a social media movement that trended nationally and helped thousands of pets get a new chance at life. Congratulations to all the families that adopted a pet during Clear The Shelters 2019. I look forward to making Clear The Shelters Day 2020 another special day for deserving animals and their loving families.”

“Clear the Shelters is one of our favorite days of the year and this year was our best year yet! We had a record day with the most adoptions we’ve ever done in one day, and also found homes for animals like the Snow the cat, who was with us for 177 days and Teddy, the deaf dog who was looking for a family that was able to work with his special needs. A huge thank you to all the folks who adopted, our online supporters who helped us get the word out about Teddy and all of our pets, and to NBC and Telemundo stations for putting on this amazing event each year. We can’t wait to be a part of Clear the Shelters 2020,” added Lewis Checchia, Executive Director for Morris Animal Refuge.

Pets of all types living in shelters for months and even years found new homes during Clear The Shelters 2019. Teddy, a catahoula leopard dog mix who is deaf, was adopted from the Morris Animal Refuge by a family in Philadelphia. The family learned about the pup on social media and knew they had found their perfect pet because their daughter is also Deaf. In Austin, Lamb, a five-year old pit-bull living at the Austin Humane Society since Hurricane Harvey impacted the area in 2017, found his new home after his new pet parent fell in love with him. In Connecticut, two senior cats who became homeless earlier this summer after their owner died, found new homes, together. Bob, a 4 1/2-month-old White Crested Black Polish rooster was also adopted and will join seven hens in his new home in Rhode Island.

NBC and Telemundo owned stations’ Clear The Shelters 2019 campaign featured several returning and new partnerships including repeat national sponsors Cat’s Pride and Hill’s Pet Nutrition, as well as PEOPLE – the leading entertainment news brand, and The Dodo, the #1 digital media brand for animal people, and the #1 most engaged with media brand in the world on mobile, both returning as the campaign’s exclusive content partners. New partnerships for 2019 included the Michelson Found Animals Foundation – a non-profit committed to saving pets and enriching lives – teamed up with NBC/Telemundo owned stations earlier this year to ‘Fund The Shelters’ with nearly $1.6 million in advance of August 17. WeRescue app also joined the campaign by helping users find Clear The Shelters adoptable pets directly from their mobile device, while GreaterGood.org presented $10,000 grants to select shelters to help pets living in facilities for years, find new homes. iHeartDogs.com donated needed pet supplies to select shelters.

The NBC and Telemundo owned stations’ Clear The Shelters Facebook posts reached more than 19 million users throughout the campaign. The #ClearTheShelters hashtag trended on Twitter nationally and in New York, Miami, Philadelphia, San Diego, Boston and Washington, D.C. on August 17. Online, NBC and Telemundo-owned stations websites and apps generated a combined total of 1.4 million-page views from July 17 to August 17 for content dedicated to the Clear The Shelters / Desocupar Los Albergues campaign, with nearly half a million-page views generated on August 17.

Celebrities and personalities took to social media on August 17 to support NBC/Telemundo stations’ #ClearTheShelters social media day including Ellen DeGeneres, E!’s Kristin Cavallari, Stephanie Beatriz and Joel McKinnon Miller of Brooklyn 99, Casey Tutton of Chicago Med, Kal Penn, Diana Maria Rivas and Samba Schutte of Sunnyside, Lauren Ash of Superstore, JR Ramirez of Manifest, William Jackson Parker of The Good Place, Angela Kinsey of The Office, Mandy Moore and Chris Sullivan of This Is Us, Mario Lopez, Leslie Grossman of American Horror Story, Alysia Reiner of Orange is the New Black, Bob Harper of The Biggest Loser, as well as actors Kristin Davis and Lisa Ann Walter, and Telemundo’s Rashel Diaz and Dra. Maria Polo, among many others.

For more information about NBC and Telemundo owned stations’ Clear The Shelters campaign, visit ClearTheShelters.com / DesocuparLosAlbergues.com. Follow the effort on Twitter @ClearTheShelter, and on social media using the hashtags #ClearTheShelters and #DesocuparLosAlbergues.

About NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations
NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations is the division of NBCUniversal that includes 42 NBC and Telemundo local television stations serving 30 markets, a regional news network and their associated websites and digital platforms, as well as a group of out-of-home properties, a production company, an in-house marketing and promotions company and two national multicast networks, COZI TV and TeleXitos. The local stations, which can be viewed in 38 percent of U.S. homes and in Puerto Rico, produce and deliver their local communities compelling and unique local news, real-time weather forecasts, consumer and investigative reports and entertainment programming across all platforms to help keep their English and Spanish-speaking audiences informed anytime and anywhere.

About Clear The Shelters
Clear The Shelters™ / Desocupar Los Albergues® is an annual, nationwide pet adoption campaign that is spearheaded by NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, a division of NBCUniversal. Every year, NBCUniversal’s TV stations, plus NBC and Telemundo affiliated stations partner with local animal shelters and rescues in their communities to host Clear The Shelters events. NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations’ Clear The Shelters campaign was inspired by a 2014 North Texas pet adoption event hosted by NBC 5 / KXAS and Telemundo 39 / KXTX and dozens of area shelters that resulted in the most adopted pets in one day for North Texas. Since 2015, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations’ Clear The Shelters pet adoption campaign has inspired thousands of families all across the country to open their homes and hearts to shelter pets.

Kelly Clarkson named host of 2019 Clear the Shelters special

August 2, 2019

Kelly Clarkson (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images for iHeartMedia)

The following is a press release from NBCUniversal:

NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, a division of NBCUniversal, today announced that Kelly Clarkson will host the special “Clear The Shelters” show that will air on NBC stations beginning August 23 (check local listings). The show will recap this year’s popular nationwide pet adoption campaign. Launching in July and culminating with Clear The Shelters day Saturday, August 17, more than 1,400 animal shelters/rescues in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, will reduce or waive pet adoption fees to help families and individuals adopt a pet. Visit cleartheshelters.com to access a list of participating shelters/rescues.

“Clear The Shelters is a summer tradition that communities everywhere look forward to. We’re excited for Kelly to host our special ‘Clear The Shelters’ show to help us celebrate all the fun and heartwarming adoption stories from our 2019 campaign. We’re proud to join with animal shelters and rescues, as well as our affiliate station partners and sponsors, to present this annual event that celebrates animals and helps shelters match families with their new furry best friend,” said Valari Staab, President, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations.

Kelly Clarkson is among the most popular artists of this era. At NBC, Clarkson serves as a coach for NBC’s “The Voice.” She will host her own daytime program, “The Kelly Clarkson Show” this fall, premiering in national syndication on September 9, 2019. The Texas-born, singer-songwriter and Grammy Award-winning artist first came to fame in 2002 as the winner of the inaugural season of “American Idol.” Clarkson’s debut single, “A Moment Like This,” followed and quickly went to #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, ultimately ranking as the year’s best-selling single in the U.S. Since then, she’s released eight studio albums, which have resulted in worldwide sales of more than 25 million albums, and 36 million singles.

“I am a huge animal lover and can tell you from personal experience that when you open your heart and home to a rescue animal, your pet will thank you every single day of its life. It’s the most beautiful and purest form of unconditional love you can ever have. I’m so excited for people to discover this feeling when they find their perfect pet on August 17, and to tell all the amazing pet adoption stories from this year’s Clear The Shelter’s campaign,” added Clarkson.

Launched nationally in 2015, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations’ Clear The Shelters campaign has inspired thousands of families to adopt pets living in shelters and rescues. During Clear The Shelters 2018, pets of all types were adopted including ‘Bailey’ a long-haired Chihuahua-mix puppy from Orange County, CA, who was adopted by a veteran and his family. In New Hampshire, ‘Baby,’ a 15-year old senior cat was adopted after being a hospice resident at a Massachusetts shelter. One year later, Baby is off her medications and showers her new family with unconditional love. In Texas, ‘Pepperjack’ a yellow Labrador was adopted and renamed ‘Jake’ after his family read about him in PEOPLE magazine’s special Clear The Shelters issue. Today, ‘Jake’ is enjoying his new life.

NBCUniversal announces plans for 2019 Clear the Shelters campaign

July 12, 2019

The following is a press release from NBCUniversal:

NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations (NBC and Telemundo owned stations), a division of NBCUniversal, today announced that its pet adoption campaign – Clear The Shelters – returns to communities all around the country and in Puerto Rico this July and August. NBC and Telemundo stations in 160 markets are teaming up with more than 1,000 animal shelters and rescues to host Clear The Shelters events. On August 17, organizations will waive or reduce pet adoption fees to help families and individuals adopt a pet. Since 2015, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations’ Clear The Shelters campaign has helped more than a quarter million pets find new homes. Visit cleartheshelters.com to access a list of participating shelters/rescues.

“We are excited for Clear The Shelters to return to communities everywhere for a fifth year in a row. Thanks to our wonderful shelter and affiliate partners and our sponsors Cat’s Pride and Hill’s Pet Nutrition, the happiest day of the year is right around the corner. We are all looking forward to make this year’s campaign the best one yet,” said Valari Staab, President, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations.

Clear The Shelters was initiated in 2014 in the Dallas-Fort Worth market as a partnership between NBC and Telemundo stations, KXAS and KXTX, and dozens of North Texas animal shelters, including Irving Animal Services. The effort resulted in the adoption of more than 2,200 homeless animals, the most adopted in one day in North Texas.

“Clear The Shelters has become a significant annual event for WKYC Studios and our viewers,” said Adam Miller, Director of Content for WKYC Studios in Cleveland. “Together we raise awareness about the importance of pet adoption and the overcrowding issues that local animal shelters typically experience in the summer months.”

Shelters located in major DMAs like Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Dallas-Fort Worth as well as Puerto Rico, will waive or reduce pet adoption fees to help families find their perfect pet. This year’s campaign will includes the participation of 42 NBC and Telemundo owned stations, plus 140 NBC affiliated stations from the following station groups: Capitol Broadcasting Company, Dispatch Broadcast Group, Hubbard Broadcasting, Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Raycom Media and Tegna Media, among others.

About NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations

NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations is the division of NBCUniversal that includes 42 NBC and Telemundo local television stations serving 30 markets, a regional news network and their associated websites and digital platforms, as well as a group of out-of-home properties, a production company, an in-house marketing and promotions company and two national multicast networks, COZI TV and TeleXitos. The local stations, which can be viewed in 38 percent of U.S. homes and in Puerto Rico, produce and deliver their local communities compelling and unique local news, real-time weather forecasts, consumer and investigative reports and entertainment programming across all platforms to help keep their English and Spanish-speaking audiences informed anytime and anywhere.

About Clear The Shelters

Clear The Shelters™ / Desocupar Los Albergues® is an annual, nationwide pet adoption campaign that is spearheaded by NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, a division of NBCUniversal. Every year, NBCUniversal’s TV stations, plus affiliated stations partner with local animal shelters and rescues in their communities to host Clear The Shelters events. NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations’ Clear The Shelters campaign was inspired by a 2014 North Texas pet adoption event hosted by NBC 5 / KXAS and Telemundo 39 / KXTX and dozens of area shelters that resulted in the most adopted pets in one day for North Texas. Since 2015, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations’ Clear The Shelters pet adoption campaign has inspired thousands of families all across the country to open their homes and hearts to shelter pets, resulting in more than a quarter million pets finding new homes. Visit ClearTheShelters.com, DesocuparLosAlbergues.com for more information. Follow the effort on Twitter @ClearTheShelter, and on social media using the hashtags #ClearTheShelters and #DesocuparLosAlbergues.

2018 Clear the Shelters: Jane Lynch set to host NBC special

July 16, 2018

The following is a press release from NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations:

NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, a division of NBCUniversal, today announced its fourth annual pet adoption campaign Clear the Shelters™ returns next month with NBC’s Jane Lynch joining the pet adoption campaign as spokesperson and host of a special “Clear the Shelters” show that will air next month. Launching in August and culminating with Clear the Shelters™ day on Saturday, August 18, the fourth annual Clear the Shelters™ pet adoption campaign will include the participation of NBC and Telemundo stations in more than 70 markets plus more than 600 animal shelters and rescues. On Saturday, August 18, shelters and rescues will reduce or waive pet adoption fees to help families adopt a new pet.

“Clear the Shelters has become a memorable event that communities look forward to every summer. We’re excited to work with our shelters partners once again to help families find their perfect pet. We also look forward to working with Jane to help raise even more awareness about animals needing homes,” said Valari Staab, President, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations.

An Emmy® Award and Golden Globe® Award winner, host of NBC’s hit show “Hollywood Game Night,” successful actor and advocate of pet adoption issues, Lynch has four rescue dogs of her own including her two 11-year old dogs “Millie” a Pit-Shepherd mix and “Bernice” a Cocker Spaniel, as well as one-year old Cocker Spaniel “Rumi” and “Arbuckle” a seven-year old Australian Cattle dog that is an internet and social media sensation with more than 71,000 followers on Instagram @allaboutarbuckle.

“I am so looking forward to clearing the shelters with NBC and Telemundo stations! Every pet deserves a loving human and nothing loves a human more than rescue pets!,” added Lynch.

This August, Lynch work with the NBC and Telemundo stations to help raise awareness about the fourth annual Clear the Shelters™ pet adoption campaign and the importance of pet adoption. Lynch will also host a special show that will recap this year’s pet campaign. The special show will air on NBC stations on August 25 (check local listings).

Launched nationally in 2015, NBC and Telemundo stations’ Clear the Shelters™ campaign has resulted in the adoption of more than 150,000 pets. Last year, the Clear the Shelters™ campaign resulted in pets of all types finding new homes. In San Diego, rabbits “Midnight” and “Cocoa” were adopted by two girls while in Massachusetts, goats, pigs and even horses were adopted. In addition, numerous celebrities and news personalities participated in the third annual Clear the Shelters™ social media campaign including Ellen DeGeneres, Chelsea Handler, Mario Lopez, NBC’s Kristin Bell, E!’s Christine Evangelista, Veronika Obeng, Olivia Pierson, Natalie Halcro, Tyler Henry, Justin Sylvester and Carissa Culiner, Telemundo’s Al Rojo Vivo host Maria Celeste, Telemundo stars Carmen Villalobos and Ximena Duque, model Kate Upton, Sex and the City’s Kristin Davis, and actress Gabourey Sidibe, among many others.

For more information and news about the NBC and Telemundo stations’ Clear the Shelters™ ® pet adoption campaign including participating shelters/rescues, visit CleartheShelters.com. You can also follow the effort on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by using the hashtag #CleartheShelters. To access information in Spanish, please visit DesocuparlosAlbergues.com and follow #DesocuparlosAlbergues. Since 2015, more than 150,000 pets have been adopted through Clear the Shelters™, an initiative spearheaded by NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations. Clear the Shelters™ is sponsored nationally by Cat’s Pride® and Hill’s Pet Nutrition.

About NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations
NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations is the division of NBCUniversal that includes 38 NBC and Telemundo local television stations serving 26 markets, a regional news network and their associated websites and digital platforms, as well as a group of out-of-home properties, a production company, an in-house marketing and promotions company and two national multicast networks, COZI TV and TeleXitos. The local stations, which can be viewed in 37 percent of U.S. homes and in Puerto Rico, produce and deliver their local communities compelling and unique local news, real-time weather forecasts, consumer and investigative reports and entertainment programming across all platforms to help keep their English and Spanish-speaking audiences informed anytime and anywhere.

2017 Clear the Shelters: post-event adoption stats, adoption TV specials airing on NBCUniversal and Telemundo stations

August 24, 2017

The following are press releases from NBCUniversal:

New York

Concluding a record-setting 2017 campaign which saw participating animal shelters and rescues double and local pet adoptions triple, NBC 4 New York / WNBC and Telemundo 47 / WNJU announced that 4,515 homeless pets were adopted by Tri-State families through Clear the Shelters / Desocupar Los Albergues, the popular, nationwide pet adoption drive led by NBC and Telemundo Owned Stations. This effort culminated in Saturday’s call-to-action where local participating animal shelters and rescues offered an array of incentives such as low-cost or waived adoption fees, helping more families open their homes to a homeless pet. Nationally, the third annual Clear the Shelters pet adoption campaign resulted in more than 62,000 pet adoptions. Since 2015, the stations’ Clear the Shelters initiative has resulted in more than 136,000 pet adoptions.

“Thousands of families adopted a homeless pet through WNBC’s Clear the Shelters campaign. Our anchors, reporters and employees look forward to this campaign every year and are passionate about connecting homeless pets with forever homes. We are thrilled that this was a record-breaking year for pet adoptions throughout the Tri-State area,” said Eric Lerner, President and General Manager of NBC 4 New York.

In 2015, the first Tri-State Clear the Shelters / Desocupar Los Albergues drive featured 42 participating shelters and animal rescues, generating 1,048 pet adoptions. Two years later, the community initiative expanded to include 94 participating shelters and animal rescues, generating this year’s final adoption total.

“The results of Telemundo 47’s Desocupar Los Albergues pet adoption drive were truly remarkable. All across the Tri-State area, our viewers opened their hearts and opened their homes to thousands of homeless pets in need. We could not be more pleased with the results of this year’s campaign,” said Cristina Schwarz, President and General Manager of Telemundo 47.

Pets of all types found new homes during Clear the Shelters 2017, including a Chihuahua mix dog with a heart murmur was adopted by a man who also had a heart murmur and sought a companion pet. 26 bulldogs were also rescued from a hot van and brought to the Bergen County Animal Shelter, where NBC 4 New York and Telemundo 47 were conducting live broadcasts. The subsequent televised reports led to numerous viewer calls expressing interest in adopting the puppies.

Viewers can tune-in to NBC 4 New York and Telemundo 47 later this week to watch Clear the Shelters specials that will feature celebrities and their pets and recaps of this year’s pet adoption campaign. Beth Stern, best-selling author and animal lover and Katie Lee, host of Cooking Channel’s Beach Bites, co-host of The Kitchen and author, will co-host “Clear the Shelters,” a 30-minute post-adoption drive special that will air beginning Friday, August 25 on the NBC 4 New York and NBC-owned stations plus more than 130 NBC affiliate stations (check local listings). Telemundo 47 and Telemundo stations will air a post-adoption drive special on Saturday, August 26 that will be co-hosted by Stephanie Himonidis “Chiquibaby” and Elva Saray of Telemundo 52 Los Angeles / KVEA (check local listings).

For more information about Clear the Shelters 2017, including photos and local pet adoption stories, visit nbcnewyork.com/cleartheshelters or telemundo47.com/desocuparlosalbergues. To access stories and photos from other Clear the Shelters participating markets, visit ClearTheShelters.com. You can also follow the effort on social media by using the hashtags #ClearTheShelters.and #LoveMyPet. To access information in Spanish, please visit DesocuparLosAlbergues.com and follow #DesocuparLosAlbergues and #AmoAMiMascota. Clear the Shelters is an initiative spearheaded by NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, a division of NBCUniversal.

Connecticut

NBC Connecticut /WVIT announced its popular pet adoption campaign Clear the Shelters resulted in more than 900 local pet adoptions. Launched in July 2017 and culminating on Clear the Shelters day, Saturday, August 19, the pet adoption initiative included the participation of more than 35 animal shelters across Connecticut. Nationally, the third annual Clear the Shelters campaign resulted in the adoption of more than 68,000 pets. Since 2015, NBC and Telemundo owned stations’ Clear the Shelters campaign has resulted in more than 141,000 pet adoptions.

“Thousands of our viewers turned out for this event, resulting in hundreds of adoptions statewide. It was truly heartwarming to see deserving animals paired with loving families, who are giving these pets a new lease on life,” said Susan Tully, President and General Manager of NBC Connecticut.

One of the success stories of the campaign is Diamond, a 3 year old who had spent far too long at Meriden Animal Control. After NBC Connecticut featured Diamond’s story on its Facebook page, Diamond is now at home with her new family. For a recap of the Clear the Shelters event, click here. http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/on-air/as-seen-on/Over-900-Pets-Adopted-in-Connecticut-for-Clear-the-Shelters_Hartford-441134573.html

Audiences can tune-in later this week to watch special programming that will feature celebrities and their pets and recaps of this year’s pet adoption campaign. Beth Stern, best-selling author and animal lover and Katie Lee, host of Cooking Channel’s Beach Bites, co-host of The Kitchen and author, will co-host “Clear theShelters” a 30-minute post-adoption drive special that will air Friday, August 25 at 7pm on NBC Connecticut.

For more information about Clear the Shelters 2017, including photos and local pet adoption stories, visit nbcconnecticut.com. To access stories and photos from other Clear the Shelters participating markets, visit ClearTheShelters.com. To access information in Spanish, please visit DesocuparLosAlbergues.com. Clear the Shelters is an initiative spearheaded by NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, a division of NBCUniversal.

Philadelphia

nbc10 Philadelphia / WCAU and Telemundo62 / WWSI announced their popular pet adoption campaign – Clear the Shelters – resulted in 4,837 local pet adoptions. Launched in July 2017 and culminating on Clear the Shelters day, Saturday, August 19, the stations’ pet adoption initiative included the participation of nearly 50 animal shelters in the Greater Philadelphia region. On Saturday alone, 1,450 adoptions took place, a 30 percent increase from 2016. Nationally, the third annual Clear the Shelters campaign resulted in the adoption of more than 68,000 pets. Since 2015, NBC and Telemundo owned stations’ Clear the Shelters campaign has resulted in more than 141,000 pet adoptions.

“We are thrilled to report another successful year for Clear the Shelters, our annual pet adoption campaign,” said Ric Harris, President and General Manager of NBC10 and Telemundo62. “It feels great knowing that through the combined efforts of our partner shelters and rescue groups, volunteers, sponsors, and our viewers, we were able to exceed the number of pet adoptions from last year and helped nearly 5,000 animals find homes this summer.”

Video highlights from Clear the Shelters:

Brandywine Valley SPCA – West Chester, PA

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Clear-the-Shelters-Pennsylvania-New-Jersey-Delaware-441080173.html

ACCT Philly – North Philadelphia

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Give-Back-for-Clear-the-Shelters_Philadelphia-441082053.html

Audiences can tune-in later this week to watch special programming that will feature celebrities and their pets and recaps of this year’s pet adoption campaign. Beth Stern, best-selling author and animal lover and Katie Lee, host of Cooking Channel’s Beach Bites, co-host of The Kitchen and author, will co-host “Clear the Shelters” a 30-minute post-adoption drive special that will air beginning Friday, August 25 on NBC10 at 7 PM. Stephanie Himonidis “Chiquibaby” and Elva Saray of Telemundo 52 / KVEA will present a special that will air on Telemundo62 on Saturday, August 26 (check local listings).

For more information about the stations’ Clear the Shelters 2017 pet adoption campaign, including photos and local pet adoption stories, visit NBC10.com and Telemundo62.com. To access stories and photos from other Clear the Shelters participating markets, visit ClearTheShelters.com. To access information in Spanish, please visit DesocuparLosAlbergues.com. Clear the Shelters is an initiative spearheaded by NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, a division of NBCUniversal.

Miami/Fort Lauderdale

NBC 6 / WTVJ and Telemundo 51 / WSCV announced that their popular pet adoption campaign – Clear the Shelters – has resulted in 1,977 local pet adoptions. Launched in July 2017 and culminating on Clear the Shelters day, Saturday, August 19, the stations’ pet adoption initiative included the participation of seven animal shelters in Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Nationally, the third annual Clear the Shelters campaign resulted in the adoption of more than 70,000 pets. Since 2015, NBC and Telemundo owned stations’ Clear the Shelters campaign has resulted in more than 140,000 pet adoptions.

“It is amazing to see so many shelters and pet rescues willing to waive or deeply discount adoption fees on Clear the Shelters day to help place hundreds of animals in loving homes,” said Larry Olevitch, President and General Manager at NBC 6. “That level of commitment speaks volumes about their dedication to this great cause and it’s something we are proud to support year after year.”

There were many adoption success stories including one deemed the “Biggest Successful Foster Fail.” Click here to read about a young couple that adopted their foster puppy on Clear the Shelters day after having fostered him for only a week.

“We are proud to continue working with our area shelters in this great initiative, which is an integral part of our commitment to serving our community.” said Jorge Carballo, President and General Manager, Telemundo 51.

Audiences can tune-in later this week to watch special programming that will feature celebrities and their pets and recaps of this year’s pet adoption campaign. Beth Stern, best-selling author and animal lover and Katie Lee, host of Cooking Channel’s Beach Bites, co-host of The Kitchen and author, will co-host “Clear the Shelters” a 30-minute post-adoption drive special that will air beginning Friday, August 25 at 7pm on NBC6. Stephanie Himonidis “Chiquibaby” and Elva Saray of Telemundo 52 / KVEA will present a special that will air on Telemundo 51 on Saturday, August 26 at 12pm.

For more information about the stations’ Clear the Shelters 2017 pet adoption campaign, including photos and local pet adoption stories, visit NBC6.com and www.telemundo51.com. To access stories and photos from other Clear the Shelters participating markets, visit ClearTheShelters.com. To access information in Spanish, please visit DesocuparLosAlbergues.com. Clear the Shelters is an initiative spearheaded by NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, a division of NBCUniversal.

August 25, 2017 UPDATE:

NBC4 Southern California / KNBC and Telemundo 52 Los Angeles / KVEA today announced that their third annual campaign, Clear the Shelters, resulted in more than 10,500 pet adoptions throughout the Southland. The month-long initiative culminated on August 19 across more than 60 animal shelters and attracted record-setting crowds in five counties.

Nationally, the Clear the Shelters campaign generated more than 70,000 pet adoptions, and more than 140,000 adoptions since its inception in 2015. Clear the Shelters is a nationwide initiative led by NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations.

“This year’s success is unprecedented, resulting in a significant increase in adoptions over last year,” said Steve Carlston, President and General Manager of NBC4 Southern California. “We’re thrilled to see the outpouring of responses from families looking for pets.”

“The response was incredible this year,” said Celia Chavez, President and General Manager of Telemundo 52. “I’m so proud of how our community came together and helped thousands of animals find their new home.”

A 30-minute special, “Clear the Shelters,” will feature celebrities with their pets and recaps of this year’s campaign. Best-selling author and animal lover Beth Stern and author Katie Lee, host of Cooking Channel’s Beach Bites and The Kitchen, will co-host the program on NBC4 this Friday, August 25 at 7:30 p.m.

Stephanie Himonidis “Chiquibaby” and Elva Saray, hosts of Telemundo 52’s Acceso Total, popular weekday entertainment and lifestyle program, will present a special that will air on Telemundo 52 this Saturday, August 26 at 12 p.m.

For those still looking to adopt a pet, visit NBCLA.com/cleartheshelters and Telemundo52.com/desocuparlosalbergues for a map of local shelters. The websites also feature dozens of photos and adoption day highlights.

Snapchat gets involved with 2017 Clear the Shelters campaign

August 17, 2017

NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, a division of NBCUniversal today announced that Snapchat will feature content from the stations’ Clear the Shelters third annual nationwide pet adoption campaign in its “Stories” section on Saturday, August 19. Videos and snaps of users with their pets and participating animal shelters will be featured in the app’s special Clear the Shelters “Stories” section this weekend. In addition, audiences all across the country will be able to activate Snapchat filters that will complement the stations’ pet adoption campaign.

Clear the Shelters is a first-of-its-kind pet adoption campaign that is spearheaded by NBC and Telemundo-owned stations. The stations’ pet adoption initiative includes the participation of more than 75 NBC and Telemundo stations, and nearly one thousand animal shelters across the U.S. and in Puerto Rico. The campaign’s robust social media campaign #ClearTheShelters, #DesocuparLosAlbergues has already garnered support from various celebrities including Kristen Bell from NBC’s The Good Place, model Kate Upton, and Telemundo’s Carmen Villalobos, to name a few. On Clear the Shelters day August 19, participating animal shelters will offer low cost or waived pet adoption fees. Since the effort was expanded nationally in 2015, the stations’ Clear the Shelters pet adoption campaign has resulted in more than 70,000 pet adoptions.

“We’re excited to partner with Snapchat to offer audiences an entirely new way to stay up-to-date with all the wonderful pet adoption stories that we’ll be sharing from our Clear the Shelters events this weekend,” said Lora Dennis, Senior Vice President of Digital Media, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations. “Clear the Shelters has become a summer tradition for many communities and we cannot wait for audiences to watch all the fun videos and snaps and also join our social media campaign.”

For more information about the pet adoption campaign, visit ClearTheShelters.com. You can also follow the effort on social media by using the hashtags #ClearTheShelters and #LoveMyPet. To access information in Spanish, please visit DesocuparLosAlbergues.com and follow #DesocuparLosAlbergues and #AmoAMiMascota.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChsarieOksU

VIP Petcare partners with Clear the Shelters pet adoption campaign

August 9, 2017

The following is a press release from NBCUniversal:

NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, a division of NBCUniversal, today announced VIP Petcare returns as a repeat national sponsor of the NBC and Telemundo owned stations’ annual Clear the Shelters nationwide pet adoption campaign. VIP Petcare will donate more than $200 of preventive veterinary services to individuals that adopt a pet at this event. The $200 includes one free dose each of prescription flea/ tick and heartworm preventative medication.

Clear the Shelters is a nationwide pet adoption campaign that is spearheaded by NBC and Telemundo-owned stations. The stations’ Clear the Shelters annual pet adoption campaign has become a popular event for communities all throughout the country and includes the participation of hundreds of animal shelters. On Saturday, August 19, participating animal shelters will offer low cost or waived pet adoption fees. Since the effort was expanded nationally in 2015, the stations’Clear the Shelters efforts have resulted in more than 70,000 pet adoptions.

“VIP Petcare’s continued support of the NBC and Telemundo owned stations’ Clear the Shelterspet adoption campaign will ensure that our stations and partner shelters deliver a memorable event for communities and pet adopters all across the country,” said Bruce Kallner, Senior Vice President of Strategic Sales and Marketing, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations. “We’re excited to work with a partner that values the importance of quality pet care and wellness and look forward to another successful Clear the Shelters day.”

VIP Petcare’s goal is to not only find forever homes for shelter and rescue pets, but to educate all pet owners on the importance of ongoing pet wellness care. The company is dedicated to keeping every pet healthy, happy and safe. Through a network of over 2700 clinics nationwide, VIP Petcare provides vaccinations, diagnostic testing, microchipping and other wellness veterinary care to pets and their parents.

“We are honored to sponsor Clear the Shelters for the second consecutive year,” said Will Santana, CEO and Founder of VIP Petcare. “Thousands of pets will find a home on August 19 and we are committed to ensuring they get a healthy start in their new life.”

For more information about the pet adoption campaign, visit ClearTheShelters.com. You can also follow the effort on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by using the hashtags #ClearTheShelters and #LoveMyPet. To access information in Spanish, please visit DesocuparLosAlbergues.comand follow #DesocuparLosAlbergues and #AmoAMiMascota.

Petco signs on as sponsor of Clear the Shelters pet adoption campaign

August 7, 2017

The following is a press release from Petco:

Petco returns as a national sponsor of NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations’ “Clear the Shelters” pet adoption campaign for a second consecutive year. On Saturday, August 19, 2017, Petco partners will be present at participating animal welfare organizations to answer questions from potential pet adopters and their families. Petco will also be distributing “Welcome to the Family” packets containing information for new pet parents along with coupons for pet supplies.

“Clear the Shelters” is a nationwide pet adoption campaign that is spearheaded by NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, a division of NBCUniversal that includes 30 NBC and Telemundo-owned stations. The stations’ “Clear the Shelters” third annual pet adoption campaign has become a popular event for communities nationwide and includes the participation of hundreds of animal welfare organizations. On August 19, participating animal shelters will offer low cost or waived pet adoption fees. The NBC and Telemundo owned stations’ third annual “Clear the Shelters” effort has helped to inspire local communities to take action and open their homes to animals in need. Since the effort was expanded nationally in 2015, the stations’ “Clear the Shelters” pet adoption campaign has resulted in more than 70,000 pet adoptions.

“Petco has been an fantastic partner to the owned stations and we’re excited to work with a company that is deeply committed to pet adoption issues and helping families have the resources and information they need to provide the best care to their newly adopted pets,” said Bruce Kallner, Senior Vice President of Strategic Sales and Marketing, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations. “The Petco Foundation has also been a great supporter of our “Clear the Shelters” campaign and we’re pleased to work with a non-profit organization that shares our goal of matching homeless pets with new, permanent homes.”

“With more than 50 years in the pet specialty business, Petco understands and celebrates the importance of the incredible bond between pets and pet parents,” said Charlie Piscitello, chief people officer at Petco. “‘Clear the Shelters‘ allows us to extend our year-long animal adoption efforts and offers our immensely passionate store partners the ability to help even more families start out with the tools and knowledge they need to make their relationship with their new pet as rewarding as possible.”