Hill’s expands Clear The Shelters role as presenting sponsor
Bottom line
Hill’s Pet Nutrition is expanding its role in NBCUniversal Local’s annual Clear The Shelters campaign, moving from longtime national sponsor to inaugural presenting sponsor for the August adoption and donation drive. The companies said the 2025 campaign will run Aug. 1-31, with fundraising continuing through Sept. 15, and will again pair NBC- and Telemundo-owned and affiliated stations with shelters and rescues nationwide. Hill’s said its support will include campaign fundraising, in-kind food donations, and adoption kits for new pet parents at select shelters. NBCUniversal Local said Clear The Shelters has now helped drive more than 1.3 million adoptions and more than $5.6 million in donations since launching in 2015. (nbcuniversal.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the sponsorship expansion underscores how closely shelter medicine, nutrition support, and adoption marketing are becoming linked as shelters stay under capacity pressure. Hill’s has positioned shelter support as a core part of its animal welfare strategy through its Food, Shelter & Love program, which the company says has supported 16 million adoptions since 2002. That matters because adoption campaigns don’t just move animals out of shelters, they also shape early nutrition, preventive care follow-up, and first-veterinary-visit decisions for newly adopted pets and their pet parents. Hill’s recent shelter adoption research has also pointed to persistent structural barriers in the market, including cost concerns and slower adoption rates for some populations, especially large dogs. (hillspet.com)
What to watch: Watch for campaign-specific activations, participating shelter counts, and whether Hill’s uses the presenting-sponsor role to tie Clear The Shelters more directly to its shelter adoption research and veterinary outreach. (nbcuniversal.com)
Hill’s Pet Nutrition is taking a bigger role in Clear The Shelters, becoming the inaugural presenting sponsor of NBCUniversal Local’s annual August adoption and donation campaign after eight consecutive years as national sponsor. The 2025 campaign is scheduled for Aug. 1-31, with an extended fundraising window through Sept. 15, and will again mobilize NBC and Telemundo stations alongside local shelters and rescues across the U.S. (nbcuniversal.com)
The move builds on a long-running relationship between Hill’s and the campaign, as well as a broader shelter strategy the company has been investing in for years. NBCUniversal Local said the 2024 campaign alone set a single-year record with nearly 170,000 adoptions, while the 2025 post-campaign update put the initiative’s cumulative total at more than 1.3 million pet adoptions and more than $5.6 million raised since 2015. Hill’s, meanwhile, has continued to frame shelter support as a major brand and welfare priority through its Food, Shelter & Love program, which it says has supported 16 million adoptions since 2002. (nbcuniversal.com)
In practical terms, the sponsorship expansion appears to be about more than logo placement. NBCUniversal Local said Hill’s support includes fundraising, campaign activities, in-kind food donations, and adoption kits for new pet parents at select participating shelters, including starter bags of Hill’s Science Diet, coupons, and other supplies. The campaign also continues to rely on Greater Good Charities to lead fundraising and WeRescue to support virtual adoptions, showing that Clear The Shelters remains a multi-partner platform rather than a simple media promotion. (nbcuniversal.com)
The backdrop is a shelter system still dealing with slower adoptions and longer stays for some animals. Hill’s 2026 State of Shelter Pet Adoption Report focuses on large dogs and says they face disproportionate barriers to adoption, while Veterinary Practice News reported that the research draws on a survey of 2,000 Americans and Shelter Animals Count data from the ASPCA program. Hill’s said the report was designed to identify why large-dog adoption rates remain stagnant and to surface actionable steps for the animal welfare community. (hillspet.com)
Industry commentary around Hill’s shelter work has emphasized that the adoption challenge is not just about interest, but about confidence and practical barriers. In Hill’s recent report materials, company representatives said concerns about cost, size, and adopter readiness can hold back placements for large dogs. Separate reporting from Axios cited Hill’s U.S. Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Chelsie Estey describing a “pet-parent paradox,” where younger adults may want to adopt but get stuck on affordability, housing limits, and access to veterinary care. That framing helps explain why a national awareness campaign still matters even after a decade of Clear The Shelters events. (hillspet.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this is a reminder that adoption campaigns increasingly sit at the intersection of shelter medicine, preventive care access, nutrition, and client education. When a company like Hill’s expands from sponsor to presenting sponsor, it signals that shelter partnerships remain strategically important not only for brand visibility, but also for influencing the handoff from shelter to home. Veterinary teams may see the downstream effects in earlier first visits, more nutrition-related questions from newly adopting pet parents, and stronger demand for guidance on behavior, parasite prevention, and the true cost of care after adoption. (nbcuniversal.com)
There’s also a broader industry angle. Pet food companies, media platforms, shelters, and nonprofits are increasingly building joint adoption ecosystems that combine marketing reach, fundraising, logistics, and post-adoption support. For clinics that work closely with shelters or rescue partners, these campaigns can create opportunities to align wellness messaging and continuity-of-care planning during seasonal adoption spikes. That may be especially relevant if the campaign again drives high August volumes or spotlights harder-to-place populations such as large dogs. (nbcuniversal.com)
What to watch: Expect additional campaign announcements closer to August on participating shelters, local activations, TV specials, and fundraising mechanics, and watch whether Hill’s uses its elevated role to connect Clear The Shelters more directly with its shelter adoption reports and large-dog adoption messaging. (nbcuniversal.com)