By Robert Albrecht, Former Board Member
Sedona News – NBC Universal Local’s nationwide pet adoption and donation campaign “Clear the Shelters” will return for its ninth consecutive year from August 1-31, 2023. As part of this initiative, NBC and Telemundo owned and affiliated stations across the U.S. and Puerto Rico will partner with local animal shelters and rescues to promote pet adoption and raise funds for animal welfare. Hill’s Pet Nutrition, a global leader in science-based pet nutrition, is returning as the lead national sponsor for a sixth year in a row. “The Dodo”, the leading animal and pet brand, will serve as a media partner for their seventh campaign.
The Humane Society of Sedona (HSS) is proud to again be a participant in this year’s “Clear the Shelters” event. Since its 2015 inception, “Clear the Shelters” nationally and internationally has helped more than 860,000 pets find new homes. The 2022 campaign established a new single-year record with more than 161,000 adoptions, while also raising more than $540,000 dollars.
The month of August was chosen for this event as animal shelters and rescue groups brace for summer. Summer is a difficult time because it usually means additional puppy and kitten intakes due to an increase in spring puppy and kitten litters, in addition to taking in numerous strays and pet surrenders. This is also the case at the HSS who will have a wide variety of animals of all ages available for adoption throughout the August event. From August 1-August 31, matching funds will be also available to all participating shelters around the country.
All animals will be microchipped, spayed/neutered, and will receive all their necessary shots. On average the HSS finds homes for over 900+ animals each year. HSS needs the communities’ support not only financially but also help in spreading the word about this month-long adoption event!
“We are a free-standing humane society. We do not belong to any chain of humane societies across the United States and so we don’t get that trickle down money. The upside is that we can set our own rules and help those animals who could be forgotten and be able to help the older ones who require more medical care or attention because we are a “No Kill Shelter.” The downside is that we must do all our own fundraising. We rely greatly upon the kindness of our community, grants, and the proceeds from our three thrift stores in the Sedona area, as well as national adoption events such as “Clear the Shelters” to help us meet our goals,” states Sarah Porter, Director of Operations at HSS.
Those who are interested in adopting or donating please plan to visit the HSS shelter at 2115 Shelby Drive in West Sedona during the month of August 2023 from 10 am-4 pm. For information about adopting and special pricing or information about how to donate directly to the HSS call (928) 282-4679 and/or view our adoptable pets at https://humanesocietyofsedona.org. HSS’s social media pages will also give additional adoption specials throughout the month of August 2023.
