Olympians holding adorable puppies is just what we all need to start our week with a smile. What makes all these US athletes' photos with the pups even better is that they were done to benefit Clear the Shelters [1], a nationwide pet adoption campaign that helped 45,000 animals find new homes in July. On July 23 alone, dubbed Clear the Shelters Day, 20,000 pets found forever homes.

"We are overwhelmed and thrilled with the extraordinary results of this year's Clear the Shelters adoption campaign," said Valari Staab, president of NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations.

Many well-known celebrities chimed in, including Ellen DeGeneres [2], Miley Cyrus [3], and Sophia Bush [4], not to mention the 50-plus Olympians who posed with some adoptable pups for our viewing pleasure.

See the photos that are sure to make your day, and find more Olympics coverage here [5].

April Ross

Kerri Walsh Jennings

Ashton Eaton

Michelle Carter

Trayvon Bromell

Simone Biles

Kayla Harrison

Lex Gillette

Simone Manuel

Jarryd Wallace

Gabby Douglas

Dartanyon Crockett

David Boudia

Ryan Lochte

Carlin Isles

Allyson Felix

Maya DiRado

Madison Kocian

Matt Stutzman

Jessica Long

Jake Dalton

Melissa Stockwell

Jordan Burroughs

Nathan Adrian

Katie Ledecky

LaShawn Merritt

Tony Azevedo

Venus Williams

Chuck Aoki

Brian Bell

Ashleigh Johnson

Danell Leyva

English Gardner

Aly Raisman

Missy Franklin

Michael Phelps

Tatyana McFadden

Elizabeth Beisel

Justin Gatlin

Megan Rapinoe

Joe Kovacs

Alex Morgan

Maya Moore

Sue Bird

Conor Dwyer

Sam Mikulak

Madison Hughes

Brad Snyder

Jamie Whitmore

Adeline Gray

Steele Johnson