The Linda L. Kelley Animal Shelter in Prince Frederick is waiving adoption fees for the entire month of August as part of the nationwide Clear the Shelters campaign, an annual push that has helped more than 800,000 animals find homes since it began.
The shelter’s 2026 Clear the Shelters event runs Saturday, Aug. 1, through Saturday, Aug. 29, with fees waived for all animals available for adoption, including dogs, cats, rabbits, roosters and pigs. Clear the Shelters set a national record in 2022 with more than 161,000 adoptions in a single campaign. This year, Calvert County’s shelter is also joining the Maryland 3,000 Adoption Challenge, a statewide effort aiming to place at least 3,000 animals into homes across Maryland during August.
Even with fees waived, every adoption still includes spay or neuter surgery, microchipping, age-appropriate vaccinations and a starter care package to help pets settle into a new home, and prospective adopters must go through the shelter’s standard screening process to ensure animals are placed in safe, appropriate homes.
The Linda L. Kelley Animal Shelter, an open-admission shelter operated by Calvert County’s Department of Public Safety, opened its doors on Nov. 1, 2018, and takes its name from Linda Kelley, a former Calvert County commissioner and longtime animal rights advocate. Kelley, an Owings resident first elected commissioner in 1994 and reelected in 1998, 2002 and 2006, spent decades involved in county civic life, including helping spearhead the opening of Safe Harbor, Calvert County’s shelter for abused women and children, and serving on the boards of Friends of Felines and the former Tri-County Animal Shelter, among numerous other local boards and commissions. The county named the shelter in her honor to carry forward her vision for the humane treatment of animals.
The shelter operates according to a set of guiding principles known as the Five Freedoms — covering freedom from hunger and thirst, discomfort, pain and disease, fear and distress, and the freedom to express normal behavior — that shape its approach to animal care. Beyond routine intake and adoption services, the shelter runs “Live at Linda’s,” a biweekly talk show featuring adoptable animals and advice from the shelter’s in-house veterinarian, and partners with the nonprofit Friends of the Linda L. Kelley Animal Shelter, which accepts monetary donations to support the shelter’s work beyond what county funding covers.
Residents interested in adopting during the campaign can visit the shelter Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or call 410-535-7387 to schedule an intake appointment. The shelter is located at 5055 Hallowing Point Road in Prince Frederick. Those unable to adopt but looking to help can check the shelter’s wish list for needed donated items, including blankets, toys, food and carriers, or contribute financially through Friends of the Linda L. Kelley Animal Shelter at 301-399-0107 or follkas.org.
More information about available animals and the adoption process is available at CalvertCountyAnimalShelter.com, and updates are posted on Instagram at @calvertcountyanimalshelter and on Facebook at facebook.com/CalvertCountyAnimalShelter.
Clear the Shelters was inspired by a 2014 one-day pet adoption event in North Texas that set a local adoption record, growing into a formal nationwide campaign led by NBCUniversal Local’s NBC and Telemundo stations starting in 2015. The campaign’s growth reflects a broader shift among animal welfare organizations toward extended, fee-waived adoption drives, which shelters say help reduce overcrowding during the summer months, when kitten season and a steady stream of owner surrenders and strays can strain shelter capacity. Waiving fees does not reduce the medical care and preparation each animal receives before adoption; shelters that participate in the campaign generally still absorb the cost of spay or neuter surgery, vaccinations and microchipping themselves rather than passing it on to adopters.
The Maryland 3,000 Adoption Challenge represents a parallel push at the state level, encouraging shelters across Maryland’s counties to coordinate their own August promotions toward a shared statewide adoption goal. Participating in both campaigns simultaneously gives the Linda L. Kelley Animal Shelter added visibility during a month when many shelters nationally see some of their highest adoption traffic of the year.
