Kelly Clarkson to host 'Clear the Shelters' special that celebrates NBC & Telemundo stations' 5th annual pet adoption campaign

NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, a division of NBCUniversal, announced Kelly Clarkson will host the special “Clear The Shelters” show that will air on NBC stations beginning Aug. 23 (check local listings). The show will recap this year’s popular nationwide pet adoption campaign. Launching in July and culminating with Clear The Shelters Day (Saturday, Aug. 17), more than 1,400 animal shelters/rescues in the U.S. and Puerto Rico will reduce or waive pet adoption fees to help families and individuals adopt a pet.  Visit cleartheshelters.com to access a list of participating shelters/rescues.

“ ‘Clear The Shelters’ is a summer tradition that communities everywhere look forward to. We’re excited for Kelly to host our special ‘Clear The Shelters’ show to help us celebrate all the fun and heartwarming adoption stories from our 2019 campaign. We’re proud to join with animal shelters and rescues, as well as our affiliate station partners and sponsors, to present this annual event that celebrates animals and helps shelters match families with their new furry best friend,” said Valari Staab, president, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations.

Clarkson is among the most popular artists of this era. At NBC, Clarkson serves as a coach for NBC’s “The Voice.” She will host her own daytime program, “The Kelly Clarkson Show” this fall, premiering in national syndication on Sept. 9.

The Texas-born, singer-songwriter and Grammy Award-winning artist first came to fame in 2002 as the winner of the inaugural season of “American Idol.” Clarkson’s debut single, “A Moment Like This,” followed and quickly went to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, ultimately ranking as the year’s best-selling single in the U.S. Since then, she’s released eight studio albums, which have resulted in worldwide sales of more than 25 million, and 36 million singles.

“I am a huge animal lover and can tell you from personal experience that, when you open your heart and home to a rescue animal, your pet will thank you every single day of its life. It’s the most beautiful and purest form of unconditional love you can ever have. I’m so excited for people to discover this feeling when they find their perfect pet on Aug. 17, and to tell all the amazing pet adoption stories from this year’s ‘Clear The Shelter’s’ campaign,” Clarkson said.

Launched nationally in 2015, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations’ “Clear The Shelters” campaign has inspired thousands of families to adopt pets living in shelters and rescues. During “Clear The Shelters” 2018, pets of all types were adopted, including Bailey, a long-haired Chihuahua-mix puppy from Orange County, California, who was adopted by a veteran and his family. In New Hampshire, Baby, a 15-year-old senior cat, was adopted after being a hospice resident at a Massachusetts shelter. One year later, Baby is off her medications and showers her new family with unconditional love. In Texas, Pepperjack,’ a yellow Labrador, was adopted and renamed Jake after his family read about him in PEOPLE magazine’s special “Clear The Shelters” issue. Today, Jake is enjoying his new life.