NBCUniversal Local’s Clear The Shelters campaign will return in August 2026 for its 12th consecutive year, reports NBC Washington.

The nationwide pet adoption and donation drive pairs NBC and Telemundo stations with local shelters and rescues to promote adoptions and raise money throughout the month.

The campaign has serious reach. Last year’s edition included more than 1,700 shelters and rescues across 49 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and Guam, driving over 160,000 adoptions.

The 2025 campaign also raised more than $628,000 in donations, its highest fundraising total since 2020.

Since launching in 2015, Clear The Shelters has driven more than 1.3 million adoptions and raised over $5.6 million for participating organizations.

Las Vegas dog lovers have good reason to circle August on the calendar.

The Animal Foundation has participated in the campaign every year, partnering with Telemundo Las Vegas, and last year waived adoption fees on adult cats and large adult dogs for the entire month.

Last year’s local edition ended with fees waived on every pet in the shelter, including puppies and kittens, over the final weekend of August.

Details of the shelter’s 2026 participation have not yet been announced, and this site will report them when they are.

The timing could hardly matter more this year.

The Animal Foundation’s Fourth of July intake climbed to 138 animals, with many lost pets still unclaimed and kennels under sustained pressure heading into the hottest stretch of summer.

Relief efforts are ramping up on the government side as well.

Clark County just renewed its contract with The Animal Foundation and rolled out new overpopulation programs, but shelter officials have been clear that adoptions and fosters remain the fastest way to open kennel space.

For anyone who has been thinking about adding a dog to the family, August is shaping up to be the most affordable month of the year to do it.

Watch for the Animal Foundation’s official Clear The Shelters announcement in the coming weeks.