Millions of homeless dogs who will never know what it feels to wade in the salty ocean waters at a dog beach or roll in the fresh cut grass of a dog park.  Instead many animals will end up euthanized because of shelter over crowding and not enough adoptions.  To honor these animals and in hopes of gaining more attention to the situation, candles around the world will be lit tomorrow in what is called, Remember Me Thursday.  Thursday September 28, 2017 will mark the fourth annual Remember Me Thursday, an event founded by San Diego’s Hellen Woodward Animal Center CEO and President Mike Arms.  Major celebrities have stepped forward using their notoriety to shine light on the cause.

Be a Part of the Remember Me Thursday® Awareness Movement
Remember Me Thursday® is a global awareness campaign uniting individuals and pet adoption organizations around the world as an unstoppable, integrated voice advocating for orphan pets to live in forever homes, not die waiting for them.

On September 28, 2017, let’s get the entire world talking about pet adoption, so the world can shine a light on all orphan pets waiting in shelters and rescues right now.

This year, you could win life-saving funds or food for a rescue or shelter of your choice! Submit a photo and share the importance of orphan pets on the #RememberTheRescue Photo Wall to be entered into the challenge!

Public relations manager of HWAC Jessica Gercke said the number of pets which are euthanized each year in the United States is staggering. “About 3.4 million orphaned animals are put down every year and only 30 percent of pets in homes are from adoptable facilities”.  Gercke pointed out that these numbers reflect that nearly 70 percent of animals are purchased from breeders.  Millions of beautiful pets are dying every year and that includes purebreds. It was these numbers which triggered Arms to bring worldwide awareness to the issue.  The candle light ceremony sets out to honor the memory of all pets that have passed away and gain attention towards all the orphaned animals that are awaiting adoption. With so many healthy orphaned pets euthanized every year and waiting adoption and world wide, an event like this can make a huge impact in the lives of these voiceless animals. We hope you will participate in this powerful movement by lighting a candle tomorrow and sharing it via social media to create awareness about adoptable pets being euthanized and or by attending, or organizing a candle-light ceremony to shine a light on adoptable pets still waiting for forever families.  Helen Woodward encourages you to please hashtag #LIGHTFORPETS and #RememberMeThursday in your posts so together we can support and pay respects to each others condolences.

The ‘Remember Me Thursday’ takes place on the 4th Thursday of every September. In it’s first year, 139 countries participated. Participants either lit a virtual candle on remembermethursday.org, or a traditional candle at an event or in the privacy of their own home. Last year, nearly 5,000 virtual candles were lit all over the world including Mexico, Australia, Europe, Great Britain, Japan and beyond. To learn more about this special event visit RememberMeThursday.org.