Clear the Shelters 2022 Sets Adoption Record by Helping Over 161,000 Shelter Pets Find Homes

Kelli Bender
·2 min read
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Crop unrecognizable female groomer stroking Border Collie dog before procedure in veterinary clinic
Crop unrecognizable female groomer stroking Border Collie dog before procedure in veterinary clinic

Getty

Clear the Shelters 2022 wrapped up with some fantastic news: the pet adoption campaign found homes for more pets than ever before.

According to a release from NBCUniversal Local, Clear the Shelters — a nationwide pet adoption and donation campaign — helped more than 161,500 pets find their forever families during 2022's program, which ran from Aug. 1-31. This is the highest single-year adoption total in the initiative's eight-year history.

The fundraising effort of Clear the Shelters 2022 also delivered big this year, with more than $540,000 in donations going to Clear the Shelters' partner animal rescues. Amazon's 'Stream It Forward' initiative in partnership with Hill's Pet Nutrition committed $100,000 of the donation total.

NBCUniversal Local shared that the fundraising for Clear the Shelters 2022 will continue through September. Donations can be made at ClearTheSheltersFund.org.

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"We're honored to announce the tremendous impact this year's Clear The Shelters made in helping pets find new homes, supporting shelters and rescues in need, and generating awareness for animal welfare issues," Meredith McGinn, NBCUniversal Local's EVP of diginets & original production and a Clear The Shelters leader, said in a statement. "This is a community-driven initiative that's success relies on the support of our employees, campa partners, affiliate stations, and sponsors. We thank them and everyone who welcomed pets into their homes or generously donated to shelters and rescues this year."

The Blacklist's Amir Arison served as spokesperson and host of the Clear The Shelters TV special for 2022. A devoted dad to his pup Reina, Arison eagerly accepted the role.

"We save pets and we make people happier," he told PEOPLE in August on why partnering with Clear the Shelters was an easy decision.

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When it came to adopting a dog, Arison waited until he was confident he could care for a pet. After welcoming Reina in 2017, the actor quickly fell in love with his canine companion.

"Reina wakes up every day just happy to be with me. It's like, one look and all your troubles disappear, [and] you can't imagine life without them," Arison, who made his Broadway debut in The Kite Runner in July, said.