Global leader in science-led pet nutrition and animal welfare partnering on annual pet adoption and donation campaign for ninth consecutive year
‘Clear The Shelters’ has led to more than 1.3 million pet adoptions and raised more than $5.6 million for animal shelters since 2015
Hill’s Pet Nutrition, a global leader in science-based pet nutrition and leading supporter of animal welfare, is increasing its longtime support of NBCUniversal Local’s Clear The Shelters by serving as the presenting sponsor of this year’s nationwide pet adoption and donation campaign.
Through the expanded partnership, Hill’s becomes the first presenting sponsor in Clear The Shelters’ 12-year history and extends its support to the ninth consecutive campaign this August. Clear The Shelters has led to more than 1.3 million pet adoptions and raised more than $5.6 million for shelters since its inception in 2015.
“Hill’s Pet Nutrition is a major contributor to the success of Clear The Shelters and a tremendous advocate for pets in need and the shelters in our communities across the nation that care for them,” said Bruce Kallner, SVP of Business Development, NBCUniversal Local. “We’re very pleased our longtime partners at Hill’s are expanding their support as the presenting sponsor this year as we continue to grow our campaign’s impact this August.”
For the 2026 campaign, Hill’s Pet Nutrition will support activities nationwide, helping participating shelters connect more pets with loving homes. Hill’s support also extends to providing adoption kits at select participating shelters during the campaign, which will include starter bags of Hill’s Science Diet foods, coupons and other supplies to help shelter pets and their new pet parents get a healthy start on their new life together.
“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.”
Clear The Shelters directly aligns with Hill’s Pet Nutrition’s mission to support shelter pets in need through the Hill’s Food, Shelter & Love program, which partners with shelters 365 days a year by providing science-led nutrition to feed the pets in their care, as well as financial support and other needed resources, including during times of disaster. For more than 20 years, the Hill’s Food, Shelter & Love program has provided more than $300 million in food to shelters across North America, and has helped more than 16 million pets find new homes. To learn how Hill’s Pet Nutrition supports shelters and pets, visit Hill’s Food, Shelter and Love.
As part of the 2026 Clear The Shelters, NBC- and Telemundo-owned and affiliated stations across the nation are partnering with animal shelters and rescues in their communities to promote pet adoption and raise funds for their animal welfare operations. Animal shelters and rescues that are interested in joining this year’s Clear The Shelters can access more information and register online via the new Shelter Registration Portal.
Last year’s Clear The Shelters helped more than 160,000 pets find new homes and raised more than $628,000 for participating animal shelters – the highest fundraising total since 2020. The 2025 campaign featured 1,735 participating shelters and rescues representing 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. The 11th annual Clear The Shelters was hosted by 129 NBC and Telemundo stations from Aug. 1 to Aug. 31, 2025.
For more information on Clear The Shelters, including participating animal shelters and rescues, along with details on local events and television programming, visit ClearTheShelters.com and the Spanish-language site DesocuparlosAlbergues.com, and follow Clear The Shelters on social media:
- Facebook: Clear The Shelters
- Instagram: cleartheshelters
- TikTok: @cleartheshelters
- Hashtags: #ClearTheShelters & #DesocuparLosAlbergues
About Hill’s Pet Nutrition
Clear The Shelters directly aligns with Hill’s Pet Nutrition’s mission to support shelter pets in need through the Hill’s Food, Shelter & Love program, which partners with shelters 365 days a year by providing science-led nutrition to feed the pets in their care, as well as financial support and other needed resources, including during times of disaster. Since 2022, the Hill’s Food, Shelter & Love program has provided more than $300 million in pet food to shelters across North America and has helped more than 16 million pets find new homes. To learn how Hill’s Pet Nutrition supports shelters and pets, visit Hill’s Food, Shelter and Love.
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 more than 1.3 million pet adoptions and raised more than $5.6 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.