Clear the Shelters Pet Adoption Campaign Underway in South Florida

If there is ever a perfect time to welcome a furry friend to your family, the month of August is certainly it. The nationwide Clear the Shelters campaign is back beginning Aug. 1.

NBC 6 and Telemundo 51 are part of the month-long effort by NBCUniversal Local which works to promote pet adoptions, support local shelters, and increase community awareness of animal welfare.

Now in its eighth year, Clear the Shelters has helped more than 700,000 pets find forever families. In 2021 alone,140,000 pets were adopted and over $500k was raised.

This year's campaign includes more than 1,000 animal shelters and rescues across the United States, Puerto Rico, and Guam.

Participating South Florida shelters and pet foster cares include:

• South Florida Lending Hands
• The Cat Network, Inc
• Abandoned Pet Rescue
• Broward County Animal Care
• MarrVelous Pet Rescues Inc
• Florida Keys SPCA
• Florida Keys Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
• Human Society of Broward County
• Miami-Dade County Animal Services
• Paws4You
• Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League
• Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control
• Kibblez of Love
• Adopt A Cat Foundation
• Shining Horse Farm and Sanctuary of West Palm Beach

Pet adoptions are made easier than ever before through partner WeRescue's app used to browse available pets right from the comfort of your own home. The app provides pets in your area to your standards of breed, gender or size, and even allows for virtual applications to be submitted.

This campaign also vows to support the community by hosting online events and donating proceeds to shelters or rescues in need. These efforts are spearheaded by Greater Good Charities and The Animal Rescue Site.

In addition, Clear the Shelters works to make an impact beyond just one month by spreading awareness on issues such as the overcrowding of local shelters.

As part of the campaign's kickoff, 150 cats will say goodbye to endless sunshine and hello to imminent winters when they are airlifted from overpopulated South Florida shelters to their new homes in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

This event is taking place right here in South Florida, where 150 cats will be airlifted to seek medical attention and new adoption possibilities.

The participating cats are being sent to local shelters such as by Humane Society of Broward County, Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League, Humane Society of Vero Beach & Indian River County, and Humane Society of the Treasure Coast.

The transport will take place on Aug. 2 when the cats are set to board a chartered plane at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport and take a five-hour flight to New Bedford Regional Airport.

There, they will be received by Northeast Animal Shelter and MSPCA-Angell in Massachusetts and Monadnock Humane Society in New Hampshire. After being treated for any medical ailments, the animals will be put up for adoption in their New England homes.

A similar event will be conducted at the end of the campaign when 50 dogs are transported from New Orleans to New Jersey on August 30th.

This year, the event will be sponsored by Hill's Pet Nutrition, Zoetis and The Dodo.

To keep up with the Clear the Shelter campaign, visit one of the social media pages below:

• Twitter: @ClearTheShelter 
• Instagram: @ClearTheShelters  
• Hashtags: #ClearTheShelters and #DesocuparLosAlbergues  

To learn more about Clear The Shelters 2022 and search for adoptable pets in your area, visit cleartheshelters.com. You can also donate to your local animal shelters and rescue groups by visiting clearthesheltersfund.org.