As shelters and rescues across the country came together for Clear the Shelters, the San Francisco SPCA Adoption Center was filled with hopeful adopters, wagging tails, curious whiskers, and plenty of reasons to celebrate. Thanks to our incredible community, 108 cats, dogs, puppies, and kittens found loving homes during our one-day free adoption event on August 22.
But the joy didn’t stop there. A total of 523 animals were adopted from the SF SPCA in August, helping make this year’s Clear the Shelters campaign a month to remember.
108 adoptions in one day
On August 22, we waived adoption fees for every available animal at the SF SPCA, giving even more people the opportunity to find their new companion.
By the end of the day, 108 animals had headed home with their new families to start the next chapter of their lives outside the shelter.
The celebration was part of Clear the Shelters, NBCUniversal Local’s nationwide adoption and donation campaign, which brings hundreds of shelters and rescues together each August. Since the campaign began in 2015, more than 1 million pets have found their forever homes through Clear the Shelters. So far, over 100,000 shelter pets have been adopted this year as part of the campaign.
At the SF SPCA, we kicked off the month with Name Your Price adoption fees for animals five months and older, followed by waived adoption fees for all available animals on August 22.
And while a single day can make a tremendous difference, every adoption matters, no matter when it happens.
Did you adopt from the SF SPCA? Share your story!
Every adoption has a story. Maybe you walked into the SF SPCA looking for a large dog and left with a kitten. Maybe you met your best friend during Clear the Shelters. Maybe your pet found you years ago, and you still remember the moment you knew they were the one.
If you’ve adopted an animal from the SF SPCA, whether during Clear the Shelters or years ago, share your adoption story with us. Your Happy Tail could help inspire someone else to open their heart and home to an animal waiting for theirs.
The need for adoption continues
We’re celebrating the animals who found homes this August, but we also know the shelter overcrowding crisis won’t end when Clear the Shelters does.
Shelters and rescues across the country are caring for more animals than they have space for, and the people who care for them are working every day to meet that need. Adoption is one very important part of the solution. When you adopt, you give an animal the chance to begin a new chapter and get to see firsthand how unique and special shelter animals are.
But we can’t adopt our way out of this crisis alone.
Long-lasting change also means increasing access to veterinary care and spay/neuter services and improving our system of care to help people keep their animals healthy and at home. That’s why the SF SPCA works beyond our adoption center to expand access to care, support pet families, strengthen shelter partnerships, and address the challenges that lead to shelter intake in the first place.
Keep the Happy Tails going
Clear the Shelters may be over, but there are still plenty of ways to make a difference.
- Adopt: If you didn’t find your new companion during Clear the Shelters, there’s no need to wait for another adoption event. Meet our available animals today!
- Foster: Help an animal take a break from the shelter while they wait for their forever home. Apply to be a foster volunteer today!
- Support access to care: Veterinary care and spay/neuter services can help keep animals with the people who love them and prevent more animals from entering shelters. Learn more about our access to care efforts and Vision 2030.
- Donate: Your support helps the SF SPCA care for animals, connect them with loving homes, and build a stronger system of care for animals and the people who love them. Explore ways to give and provide life-changing help for animals.
Most of all, thank you to everyone who made Clear the Shelters 2026 possible: the adopters who welcomed new family members home, the volunteers and staff who cared for our animals every step of the way, and the supporters who make this work possible.
Here’s to 523 new beginnings, countless Happy Tails, and all the amazing shelter animals still waiting for theirs.