Animal Shelters Nationwide Teaming Up with NBC for Annual Pet Adoption Campaign to Find Homes for Thousands of Animals
Not even a global pandemic can stop homeless animals at the Humane Society of Harford County (HSHC) from eagerly putting their best paw forward to meet the adopter of their dreams during the annual Clear the Shelters nationwide pet adoption event. Instead of the traditional one-day-only event, HSHC has designated August 23-29 as Clear the Shelters Week and will waive adoption fees on all pets with hopes that every animal will find a loving, permanent home.
“The week-long format for Clear the Shelters this year is necessary because the pet adoption procedure at HSHC is different due to COVID-19 restrictions,” said executive director Jen Swanson. “Since early April the shelter has been open by appointment only for adoptions and will continue to do so for Clear the Shelters. We ask that all visitors follow current safety guidelines, including wearing a face mask and social distancing from anyone they don’t live with.”
Interested adopters should first browse the selection of dogs, cats, small critters, and barnyard animals at harfordshelter.org/animals and gather the name(s) of the animal(s) they’re interested in meeting. The next step is to either call an adoptions counselor at 410-836-1090 or email [email protected]. The counselor will help with further instruction, including sending and approving the adoption application and making the meet and greet appointment.
Animals adopted from HSHC are spayed or neutered prior to adoption and include a distemper vaccination (DHPP for dogs & FVRCP for cats), a rabies vaccination (if age-appropriate), canine kennel cough vaccination, canine heartworm test, FeLV (feline leukemia) & FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus) testing, de-wormer, flea & tick preventative, a microchip, a free sample of Hill’s Science Diet food, and a general exam.
“During last year’s one-day Clear the Shelters event, 23 animals from our shelter were placed into adoptive homes,” said Jen Swanson, executive director at HSHC. “We made some great lifelong matches, placing cats, kittens, dogs and even a couple of rats with new families!”
This is the sixth consecutive year that NBC and Telemundo owned stations present their popular pet adoption initiative to communities nationwide. Since launching in 2015, #CleartheShelters has facilitated more than 410,000 shelter pet adoptions.
About Clear the Shelters
Clear the Shelters is a groundbreaking pet adoption campaign that will take place in August across the United States and Puerto Rico. Locally, the Humane Society of Harford County will host their adoption event from August 23-29. This year’s Clear the Shelters event is sponsored by Hill’s Pet Nutrition. Visit www.cleartheshelters.com for the full list of local participating animal shelters and to view a real-time pet “Adoption Tracker”.
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 come to us each year. We promote the kind treatment of homeless, stray and abandoned animals by providing shelter, care, adoptions, and community education. We are not a county agency nor are we affiliated with any national or regional organization. Tax-deductible donations, bequests, and proceeds from events are crucial to our life-saving efforts on behalf of the animals of our community.
