NBC’s Clear The Shelters returns for 11th annual pet adoption campaign
For Immediate Release
Contact: Erin Long, Marketing & Development Manager | Humane Society of Harford County | 410-836-1090, x106 | erin@harfordshelter.org
Fallston, MD (August 27, 2025) – With a shelter full of dogs, cats, rabbits and other animals, the Humane Society of Harford County (HSHC) is opening its doors wide and waiving adoption fees on all pets on Saturday, August 30 and Sunday, August 31 from 10AM-5PM both days as part of the 11th annual Clear The Shelters nationwide pet adoption event.
“About 3,500 animals enter our shelter every year,” said Amanda Hickman, HSHC’s executive director. “Currently, we are caring for 272 animals including dogs, cats, small animals, and barnyard animals, so Clear The Shelters could not come at a better time to help them all find homes. We are excited to welcome everyone to the shelter for this fun and important event!”
Cat and dog adopters will receive a bag of goodies including a free sample bag of Hill’s Science Diet, coupons, freebies, and information to help ease the pet’s transition from kennel to couch.
Animals adopted from HSHC are spayed or neutered prior to adoption and also include all appropriate vaccinations and testing for communicable diseases, de-wormer, flea & tick preventative, a microchip, and a general exam.
View the animals’ photos and profiles at www.harfordshelter.org/animals. Although adoption fees are waived, regular adoption procedures will apply.
Since its launch in 2015, Clear The Shelters has driven close to 1.2 million pet adoptions and raised more than $5 million in donations. Clear The Shelters celebrated its 10th anniversary last year in record fashion with nearly 170,000 adoptions, marking a single-year high. The campaign also raised more than $500,000 for participating shelters and rescues. The 2024 edition featured over 1,600 shelters and rescues located across the 50 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam.
“We are grateful for how communities across the nation have embraced Clear The Shelters, which has expanded the campaign’s impact on vulnerable animals and the shelters who care for them year after year,” said Meredith McGinn, NBCUniversal Local’s executive vice president of diginets & original production, in a statement.
About Clear The Shelters
Clear The Shelters is a groundbreaking national pet adoption campaign spearheaded by NBCUniversal Local, a division of NBCUniversal. Every year, NBCUniversal Local’s NBC and Telemundo owned stations, plus affiliated stations, partner with animal shelters and rescues in their communities to promote pet adoption and raise needed funds. NBCUniversal Local’s Clear The Shelters campaign was inspired by a 2014 North Texas pet adoption event that resulted in the most adopted pets in one day for North Texas. Since 2015, NBCUniversal Local’s Clear The Shelters pet adoption campaign has resulted in more than 1.2 million pets finding new homes. Visit ClearTheShelters.com and DesocuparLosAlbergues.com for more information.
About the Humane Society of Harford County
The Humane Society of Harford County, Inc., is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to the welfare and well-being of the approximately 3,500 animals that arrive each year. HSHC promotes the kind treatment of homeless, stray and abandoned animals by providing shelter, care, adoptions, and community education. HSHC is not a county agency nor is it affiliated with any national or regional organization. Tax-deductible donations, bequests, and proceeds from events are crucial to its life-saving efforts on behalf of the animals in the community.