Hill’s Pet Nutrition is returning for its sixth consecutive year as a sponsor of NBCUniversal Local's “Clear The Shelters” effort.

“Clear The Shelters” is a nationwide pet adoption and donation event held annually in August. This year’s campaign comes at a critical time since animal shelters are dealing with a crisis-level number of pets entering their doors compared to those leaving.

To help drive more pet adoption, Hill's Pet Nutrition commissioned a survey of 1,500 pet owners and found a simple but effective way to help shelters find homes for pets.

The study found that 95% of pet adopters considered photos important to the adoption process, with seven in 10 considering adopting a pet specifically because of the photo.

Peer-reviewed data from the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science showed that a dog with a quality photo is typically adopted in two weeks, compared to 43 days for a pet with a poor photo. 

To support these findings, Hill's Pet Nutrition is teaming up with photographer Sophie Gamand to encourage people to volunteer at local shelters and, among other things, use their own smartphones to take higher-quality intake photos to help shelter pets get adopted.

The “Clear the Shelters” campaign is not just about finding homes for pets, says  Caroline Chulick, vice president of marketing for Hill’s Pet Nutrition US.

“It's also about creating a movement that inspires compassion and responsible pet ownership and helps create long-term impact in animal welfare,” Chulick tells Marketing Daily. “As a purpose-driven company, it’s our responsibility to actively support solutions designed to end pet homelessness and create a healthier, happier future for pets.”

Since 2002, the Hill's Food, Shelter & Love program has exclusively focused on providing science-led nutrition for shelter pets 365 days a year as well as driving advancements in animal welfare and supporting animal shelters and rescues.

The program has helped more than 13 million cats and dogs find new homes and has provided more than $300 million in food to more than 1,000 shelters nationwide. 

“Hill's Pet Nutrition believes that by providing quality nutrition to shelters, we can help pets be healthy, happy and more adoptable,” Chulick says.

The campaign targets a wide audience.

“We know Gen Z and millennials are among the fastest growing population of pet owners, but with so many pets and shelters in need, it's imperative for a mass approach to encourage as many people as possible to answer the call — whether that’s adopting, fostering or volunteering,” Chulick says.