NBC 5 and Telemundo 39 are celebrating a decade of finding forever homes for shelter pets through the Clear the Shelters Mega-Adoption event. Hundreds of dogs, cats, and rabbits joined new families on Saturday. NBC 5’s Allie Spillyards has more.
Over the weekend, NBC 5, Telemundo 39, and the Humane Society of North Texas (HSNT) hosted a two-day Mega Adoption Event, with participation from 26 shelters and around 1,200 animals.
The Clear the Shelters MEGA Adoption Event was held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 17, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 18, at the Amon G. Carter Jr. Exhibits Hall at Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth.
The event was a resounding success, with 705 animals finding their forever homes. Among the adopted animals, 469 were dogs, 225 were cats, nine were bunnies, and two were guinea pigs.
The Humane Society of North Texas expressed gratitude to NBC 5 and Telemundo 39 for their support in making the Clear the Shelters adoption event possible.
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NBC 5 provided live coverage of the event from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday on our streaming channels available on Roku, FireTV, Freevee, Pluto, XumoPlay, Local Now, Google TV, TCL and Samsung TV+.
Dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, and more were up for adoption in hopes of finding forever homes.
All shelters' adoption fees were $25 or less. All adoptable dogs and cats were spayed or neutered, microchipped, and have received rabies and age-appropriate vaccinations. Every dog or cat adopted received a free initial veterinary visit (with a participating local vet).
Admission to the event was free, with a $12 fee for parking.
Pets could not be reserved in advance, but if potential owners wanted the first pick, HSNT offered an Early Bird Fast Pass to the first 150 registered. Each pass allowed entry to the event at 9 a.m., one hour before it opened to the public on Saturday, and allowed each person to adopt one pet. The pass cost $50 and did not cover the adoption fee.
HSNT strongly encouraged people to register before the event to save time with the adoption process.
CLEAR THE SHELTERS CELEBRATES 10 YEARS
NBC 5 and Telemundo 39 celebrated a decade of love and compassion with the 10th Clear the Shelters/Desocupar Los Albergues campaign, a special time of year dedicated to finding forever homes for shelter pets.
"Raising the awareness of the importance of adoptions is enormous," said Maura Davies of the SPCA of Texas.
This initiative, inspired by a campaign in Dallas-Fort Worth, has been making a difference for a decade. Clear The Shelters’ landmark anniversary comes after the campaign surpassed 1 million all-time adoptions in 2023.
"This has been a lifesaver for a lot of these animals," said Richardson Animal Services Manager Noura Jammal.
The monthlong adoption initiative will take place in 72 local shelters from Aug. 10 to Sept. 10, and in honor of the 10th anniversary, the donation initiative will have an extended run through Sept. 30.
Clear The Shelters has multiple partnerships that will be extended for the 2024 campaign. Hill’s Pet Nutrition will serve as the campaign’s national sponsor and partner for the seventh straight year.
Meanwhile, virtual pet adoptions will be available through WeRescue for a sixth consecutive year. WeRescue allows prospective adopters to search for pets in their area, submit adoption applications and ask questions directly to shelters.
Longtime partner Greater Good Charities will continue to lead the campaign's fundraising efforts, while animal and pet brand The Dodo will return as a media partner for an eighth campaign.
For more information on Clear The Shelters, including participating animal shelters and rescues, along with details on local events, visit ClearTheShelters.com and DesocuparlosAlbergues.com. Follow Clear The Shelters on social media:
- X: @ClearTheShelter
- Instagram: cleartheshelters
- TikTok: @cleartheshelters
- Hashtags: #ClearTheShelters and #DesocuparLosAlbergues
