11 Years Strong: How Clear the Shelters Transforms Lives

Each year, Greater Good Charities partners with NBCUniversal for Clear The Shelters to support animal shelters across the country and help pets find loving homes. For our 11th annual campaign, with the help of generous donations from Hill’s Pet Nutrition and The Black Dog, we successfully raised $626,566.76 for shelters in need and transported over 130 pets to new shelters.  

Flying Over 130 Pets to a Brighter Future 

On August 20th, we airlifted over 130 at-risk pets out of overcrowded shelters in the South, transporting them to new shelters where they have a higher likelihood of adoption.  

A grand total of 85 dogs and 52 cats were flown from Louisiana to New Jersey and New Hampshire. These include pets that are considered harder-to-place and vulnerable, like large dogs, homeless cats, and asymptomatic heartworm-positive dogs.  

Now, they’re getting a second chance.  

Helping Shelters, Pets, & Communities in a Time of Urgent Need 

The shelter pet population was reported to have increased by 100k dogs and cats in 2024. As pets remain in shelters longer, the strain on shelters’ resources grows with the number of pets in their care. The need is urgent— and so was nationwide action this year to Clear The Shelters and fundraise in support of participating shelters! 

Thanks to the generosity of all the donors who showed up for participating shelters in their communities and generous matching donations from Hill’s Pet Nutrition and The Black Dog, the funds raised for this year’s Clear The Shelters will make an impact for the quality of life and care for thousands more shelter pets and help shelter community outreach provide resources, education, and access to keep many more pets with their families and out of the shelter.  

Without initiatives like this, so many pets would never experience loving homes. And the impact is clear: since 2015, Clear The Shelters has led to nearly 1.2 million pet adoptions and raised more than $5 million for animal shelters. We look forward to many more success stories like these in the future.   

How You Can Help 

If you’re inspired by Clear the Shelters, there are several ways you can still get involved: 

• Adopt: Consider opening your home to a pet in need. Whether it’s a dog, cat, or another animal, your love can make a world of difference. 

• Foster: If you’re not ready to adopt, fostering is a wonderful way to help. By providing a temporary home, you give pets a safe place to land – giving them a loving home of their own to decompress and blossom to find their forever families while freeing space for other animals who need shelter. 

• Donate: Your contributions support vital programs that save lives and connect pets with loving homes. 

• Volunteer: Join the ranks of dedicated volunteers, whose efforts change lives.