BISSELL Pet Foundation’s Empty the Shelters® – Holiday Hope event

BISSELL Pet Foundation’s Empty the Shelters® – the nation’s largest funded adoption event – returns this holiday season from December 1–15, 2025.

The end of the year is a critical time for animal shelters as they face continued overcrowding and rising surrenders due to financial and housing challenges.

“This year has placed enormous pressure on shelters across the country, as more families face financial hardship and housing changes that force them to surrender beloved pets,” said Cathy Bissell, Founder of BISSELL Pet Foundation. “If you’re considering adding a pet to your family, adoption has so many benefits. Shelters have desirable pets of every size and age—many who have lived in homes, are house-trained, already spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and ready to become part of your family—all for a fraction of the cost of buying from a breeder or pet store. Our Empty the Shelters Holiday Hope event is a chance for all of us to end the year by giving shelter pets what they deserve most—a loving home.”

This lifesaving initiative, hosted in partnership with 300+ animal shelters across 44 states, makes adoption more affordable for families by sponsoring reduced adoption fees of $70 or less.

View an interactive map for participating organizations. Use filters to search by state or ZIP code. 

Since 2016, Empty the Shelters has helped more than 374,000 pets find loving homes across the U.S. and Canada. Dates vary by shelter. Adopters should visit the Empty the Shelters page to find a nearby location and confirm participation details.