Jackson Galaxy and Hill's Pet Nutrition Team Up to Help Shelter Pets Get Adopted During NBCUniversal Local's Clear The Shelters Campaign

Cat Behavior and Wellness Expert Jackson Galaxy offers tips to help new and prospective pet parents navigate bringing home a shelter animal

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Aug. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- With animal shelters facing critical overcapacity for the fourth year in a row, Hill's Pet Nutrition, a leading global pet nutrition company and long term animal welfare supporter, and cat behavior expert Jackson Galaxy are teaming up for the 10th anniversary of NBCUniversal Local's Clear The Shelters, the nation's largest pet adoption and donations campaign.

The campaign goal: help support over-capacity shelters by finding new loving homes for animals in need. The campaign, which has already celebrated over one million total pet adoptions, runs from Aug. 10-Sept. 10.

For over 30 years, Galaxy has championed animal welfare as a cat behavior and wellness expert. The Hill's Pet Nutrition 'Clear the Shelters' Advocate discovered his passion and unique ability for working with cats and cat parents after taking a job at a local animal shelter. He's since made it his mission to educate people about cats, while reducing the number of animals that end up in shelters.

"Clear The Shelters shines a bright light on the importance of pet adoption and has helped over one million pets find loving homes," said Galaxy. "But there are still so many animals in shelters waiting for that chance. I'm honored to partner with Hill's Pet Nutrition and the Clear The Shelters campaign to raise awareness for this critical initiative and encourage people to open their hearts and homes to pets in need."

Expert Tips On Bringing A New Pet Home
Newly released data from the 2024 Hill's Pet Nutrition State of Shelter Pet Adoption Report reveals that nearly 66% of people are likely to adopt a shelter pet. While there's a lot of enthusiasm for shelter pets, it's also not uncommon for new pet parents to experience negative feelings, including anxiety, in the first month after pet adoption.

Affectionately known as the "Cat Daddy," Galaxy's extensive experience working with shelters has allowed him to develop dos and don'ts that can reduce the stress for animals and their owners during the adoption journey:

1. DON'T rush it. Animals need adjustment time, just like humans do. Allow your new dog or cat to slowly acclimate to their new environment. When they are ready to explore more, they'll show signs to let you know.
2. DON'T be afraid to reach out. As you adjust to life with your new pet, remember that you can reach out to your veterinarian or local shelter with questions. They are there to help provide resources on things like nutrition, training or solving behavior issues.
3. DO set up a base camp. Your new pet won't recognize your home as their home instantly. Set up a space that will help your new animal feel safe and secure, one that is exclusively theirs.
4. DO remember to seek guidance from your shelter. Remember, there are shelter workers and/or foster volunteers who previously cared for your animal. Shelters love when pet parents reach back out to them for advice. Don't forget, they cared for your animal too! They can help walk you through things like behavioral quirks and questions.

"We are so grateful to have such a passionate advocate for animals join the Clear The Shelters campaign," said Dr. Karen Shenoy, U.S. Chief Veterinary Officer at Hill's Pet Nutrition. "Advocates like Jackson Galaxy are critical to the campaign's success and make a difference at the local level too. Most animal shelters across the country are at or above capacity. Clear The Shelters comes at a critical time where it helps more pets find loving homes and also helps ease the burden on the shelters."

To support successful adoptions during the campaign, Hill's Pet Nutrition will provide adoption kits to help new pet parents and their pets get a healthy start on their new life together. Available at participating shelters, the adopter kits include starter bags of Hill's Science Diet, coupons, pet-parenting tips and other supplies. Visit ClearTheShelters.com to find a participating shelter near you.

Hill's Pet Nutrition is also providing more than $100,000 to support the Clear The Shelters Fund hosted by Greater Good Charities. The funds will be used for a matching donations campaign and to support Good Flights, a life-saving airlift, and to support ground transportation for at-risk pets at over-capacity shelters. On August 13, more than 100 shelter pets will depart from New Orleans and will be flown to Morristown, New Jersey, where they will be transported to local shelters to receive necessary medical care and evaluation and then be made available for adoption. 

After the pets are safely unloaded from the plane, a $75,000 check will be presented to Greater Good Charities for the shelters participating in the Clear The Shelters Fund on behalf of Hill's Pet Nutrition and The Animal Rescue Site. To provide additional support, Hill's Pet Nutrition is donating 5,000 pounds of Hill's Science Diet to shelters sending cats and dogs on the airlift.

Lend A Helping Hand
For those not able to adopt now, there are still ways to get involved in Clear The Shelters. From daily kennel care to overnight fostering, volunteering your time helps shelters socialize the animals and find new homes faster. You can also consider providing financial support by visiting ClearTheSheltersFund.org where 100% of donations go directly to shelters and rescues in need.

How Hill's Pet Nutrition Supports Shelters
In addition to its annual support of Clear The Shelters, Hill's has dedicated more than twenty years to support animal welfare, shelters and the animal professionals who dedicate their lives to helping pets. Through the Hill's Food, Shelter & Love Program, the company has supported more than 14 million adoptions, provided more than $300 million in pet nutrition to thousands of shelters in North America and donated more than 1.5 million pounds of food to shelter community food pantries.

For more information about Clear The Shelters, including participating animal shelters and rescues, along with details on local events, visit ClearTheShelters.com or the Spanish-language site DesocuparlosAlbergues.com.

To learn more about Hill's Pet Nutrition and its support of shelter pets, visit HillsClearTheShelters.com.

About Hill's Pet Nutrition
Founded more than 75 years ago, Hill's Pet Nutrition has been committed to providing pets with the best nutrition through extensive research and a scientific understanding of their specific needs. Their team of 220+ veterinarians, PhD nutritionists, and food scientists constantly strive to develop innovative solutions for pet health. Hill's offers a full line of products, including their Prescription Diet therapeutic nutrition and Science Diet wellness products, which are available at veterinary clinics and pet specialty retailers worldwide. For more information about their products and nutritional philosophy, please visit HillsPet.com.

About Clear The Shelters
Clear The Shelters™ / Desocupar Los Albergues® is an annual, nationwide pet adoption campaign that is led by NBCUniversal Local. Every year, NBCUniversal Local's NBC and Telemundo owned stations, plus affiliated stations, partner with animal shelters and rescues in their communities promote pet adoption and raise needed funds. Clear The Shelters was inspired by a 2014 North Texas pet adoption event hosted by NBC 5 / KXAS and Telemundo 39 / KXTX that resulted in the most adopted pets in one day for North Texas. Since 2015, Clear The Shelters pet adoption campaign has led to more than one million pet adoptions and raised millions of dollars for participating shelters and rescues. Visit ClearTheShelters.com and DesocuparLosAlbergues.com for more information.

About NBCUniversal Local
NBCUniversal Local, part of NBCUniversal News Group, is comprised of more than 50 media properties, including local TV stations and regional sports networks that deliver English and Spanish-speaking audiences in 30 U.S. markets and Puerto Rico comprehensive news, weather, consumer and investigative reporting, lifestyle and entertainment content and live sports coverage across television, streaming and digital platforms. NBCUniversal Local consists of three individual media groups – NBC Owned Television Stations, NBC Sports Regional Networks and Telemundo Station Group – plus multicast networks COZI TV and TeleXitos, regional cable news network NECN, and 16 free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels – including 11 NBC local news, four Telemundo regional news channels and NBC LX Home. NBCUniversal Local also features NBC Spot On, an advanced CTV and OTT advertising platform; LXTV Productions; marketing and promotions company Skycastle; out-of-home business NBC Everywhere; and The Arthouse, a graphic design group. 

Contact: Ariana Brancato, [email protected]

SOURCE Hill's Pet Nutrition