Clear The Shelters 2026: 135,000+ Adoptions and the Technology Behind Them

More than 135,000 pets found new homes during Clear The Shelters 2026, and the count is still climbing. NBCUniversal Local's annual adoption and donation campaign also raised nearly $500,000 for participating shelters, bringing its total since 2015 to nearly 1.5 million adoptions and more than $6 million in donations.

Behind every one of those adoptions was a shelter team working long hours, a local station telling their stories, and a family ready to say yes. And behind the scenes, WeRescue was keeping the whole thing connected: registering shelters, pulling in their adoptable pets, and putting those pets in front of adopters nationwide.

Here's a look at what happened this year, and what we built to help make it possible.

Key Takeaways

• 135,000+ adoptions and nearly $500,000 raised across more than 1,200 shelters in 153 markets
• Local shelters posted big wins, with several beating last year's numbers
• WeRescue returned for an eighth consecutive year as the campaign's exclusive technology partner
• A brand-new shelter registration portal launched in April 2026 and signed up more than 1,200 shelters
• Automatic pet listings from the shelter software organizations already use meant less busywork and more visibility for pets

Clear The Shelters 2026 by the Numbers

The 2026 campaign was hosted by more than 100 NBC and Telemundo stations, which partnered with more than 1,200 shelters in 153 markets across 47 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and Guam. Adoptions ran August 1 through 31, and fundraising ran July 15 through September 15.

Hill's Pet Nutrition, a partner for nine straight years, stepped up as presenting sponsor for the first time and provided adoption kits to new pet parents at select shelters. Greater Good Charities once again led fundraising through ClearTheSheltersFund.org, and The Black Dog returned with a branded merchandise collection that benefited the fund.

NBC and Telemundo stations each premiered Clear The Shelters specials on August 7, with the NBC special led by Matt Damon. It's available to stream on Peacock.

Local Wins Across the Country

The national total is built one community at a time. A few highlights:

• San Diego, CA: NBC 7 and Telemundo 20's one-day event with San Diego Humane Society placed 323 pets with waived adoption fees, topping last year's 288. Adopters took home everything from dogs and kittens to chinchillas and reptiles.
• San Francisco, CA: The San Francisco SPCA placed 108 animals during a single free adoption day on August 22, and 523 over the full month of August.
• Teterboro, NJ: The Bergen County Animal Shelter and Adoption Center found homes for 59 pets during its Clear The Shelters weekend, nearly double last year's 33.
• Palm Springs, CA: Palm Springs Animal Shelter placed 83 animals, 31 dogs and 52 cats, during the event.
• Summit County, OH: Summit County Animal Control cut dog adoption fees from $96 to $28 for all of August, with every dog fully vetted and licensed.

Why It Matters Right Now

Shelters are full. Many are taking in animals faster than they can place them, which is exactly why a concentrated month of attention makes such a difference.

"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."

Carrick Massey, Senior Vice President of U.S. Marketing, Hill's Pet Nutrition

How WeRescue Powered Clear The Shelters 2026

WeRescue has been the exclusive technology partner of Clear The Shelters for eight consecutive years. Over our 11-year history, WeRescue has helped facilitate more than 1.4 million animal placements. This year we rebuilt a big part of the campaign's foundation.

A New Shelter Registration Portal

In April 2026 we launched a brand-new Clear The Shelters registration portal, and more than 1,200 shelters and rescues signed up through it. The portal was built to save shelter staff time:

• Self-service editing. Shelters update their own event dates, locations, adoption specials and hours whenever plans change.
• Foster-friendly. Foster-based rescues without a public building can keep their address private.
• Automatic market matching. Each shelter is paired with its local TV market based on location, and can adjust it if needed.
• Team access. Shelters can invite teammates, so more than one staff member can manage the account.
• Live numbers. Participation data syncs continuously, so campaign organizers always see current information.

Getting Every Pet in Front of Adopters

A shelter's Clear The Shelters page only works if it shows real, adoptable pets. So each shelter's dashboard includes a WeRescue section that tells them whether their pets are appearing, and if not, gives step-by-step instructions to connect them.

WeRescue pulls listings automatically from the software shelters already use, including ShelterLuv, PetPoint, RescueGroups and Adopt-a-Pet. New this year, we added an integration for Chameleon, which many participating shelters rely on. No re-typing pet profiles, no extra spreadsheets.

Shelters with no management software at all can list pets directly in WeRescue Hub, free for core features. Setup takes most shelters just a few minutes.

Helping Shelters and Stations All Month Long

Every week of the campaign, we wrote the "WeRescue Corner" section of the Clear The Shelters newsletter, with separate answers for station teams and for shelters. Common questions got answered before they turned into roadblocks.

Built for Adopters

On the WeRescue website and our iOS and Android apps, adopters browsed pets from participating shelters by breed, size, gender and more, filtered for Clear The Shelters participants, applied to adopt, and asked shelters questions directly.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Clear The Shelters happen?

Adoptions run every August. In 2026, fundraising ran from July 15 through September 15.

I saw a pet during Clear The Shelters. Can I still adopt?

Possibly! Many pets are still waiting. Search on WeRescue and contact the shelter listing the pet directly for the latest on availability.

How can my shelter take part next year?

Register through the Clear The Shelters portal when registration opens, then connect your pets through WeRescue Hub so they appear on your page automatically.

Where did donations go?

Donations were handled by Greater Good Charities through ClearTheSheltersFund.org and distributed to participating shelters.

Clear The Shelters Ends. Adoption Doesn't.

August is the spotlight, but shelters need adopters, fosters, volunteers and donors all year. Every pet you saw during Clear The Shelters has a counterpart waiting today. Browse adoptable pets near you on WeRescue and meet yours.

Shelters and rescues: join WeRescue Hub free and get your pets in front of adopters before next August.

Find Your Perfect Pet Match

Sources: NBCUniversal Local 2026 results, NBC 7 San Diego, San Francisco SPCA, Bergen County, NBC Palm Springs, Summit County, OH

• The Adoption Gap Is a Data Problem. WeRescue Has Spent 11 Years Solving It.
• Animal Shelter Volunteer Guide: Start Making a Difference Today
• The Hidden Joys of Fostering a Pet: What No One Tells You About This Life-Changing Experience
• How Adoption Fees Help Support Pet Rescue Shelters and the Animals
• Pet Adoption Timeline: Your Complete Guide from Application to Home