Animal Welfare Advocates Prepare for 10th Annual Remember Me Thursday Event Sept. 22

On Thursday, Sept. 22, the Helen Woodward Animal Center will unite with animal welfare proponents and organizations worldwide for the 10th Annual Remember Me Thursday^® (RMT). Honored on the fourth Thursday of September, the campaign asks pet lovers and animal rescue groups to create an unstoppable, integrated voice for homeless pets. Candle-lighting ceremonies and a global avalanche of social media buzz will shine a light on the millions of orphan animals still awaiting adoption and encourage communities to opt to adopt and reduce the more than 1 million homeless pets euthanized each year.

As in previous years, some very big names are stepping forward to lend their support to the cause including Jasmine Tookes, who has been named the 2022 Official Spokesperson for the campaign. Tookes is an American fashion model and businesswoman and a passionate animal lover and advocate. In 2016, Tookes joined forces with best friend and fellow model, Josephine to create JOJA – a community where the two share their workouts, health routines and active lifestyles and just recently this year began selling their own line of activewear under the same name.

Regarding her love of animals and the special day, Tookes stated: “Pet adoption is something that is near and dear to my heart but a lot of people may not have the knowledge or information on pet adoption. Remember Me Thursday provides the perfect opportunity to learn and hopefully change people’s minds who were once never open to the idea of adoption.”

Tookes leads an impressive list of celebrity supporters also aligning themselves with RMT. Notable personalities, professional athletes, pet behaviorists and social media pet stars have signed on as “luminaries,” committing to share their thoughts on pet adoption in videos and via their social media accounts throughout the campaign. Nearly 100 influential luminaries have joined the cause. View a list of past and present supporters here.

RMT was established in 2013 by Helen Woodward Animal Center President and CEO Mike Arms. Moved by the staggering statistic of more than 1 million homeless pets who lose their lives each year in the US, Arms put out a call to rescue organizations in an attempt to create a global awareness campaign. As creator of the International Pet Adoptathon and the International Home 4 the Holidays^®program (placing more than 19 million pets in homes since 1999), he was able to send out an expansive request and the response was significant.

Now in its tenth year, RMT has been supported by 190 countries with hundreds of thousands of individuals and more than 1,000 separate animal welfare organizations around the globe holding candle-lighting ceremonies of their own, spreading the message on social media or lighting a virtual candle. The enormous swell of celebrity support has resulted in the topic trending each year on both Facebook and Twitter, garnering more than 1 billion social media impressions since its start.

For the third year in a row, representatives from animal welfare organizations and campaign luminaries will unite on an international Zoom call to share the significance of RMT within their respective organizations and countries. This year speakers from Bulgaria, Estonia, Kazahkstan, New York, North Carolina and Puerto Rico will share the state of animal welfare in their area and how they are commemorating the pet adoption awareness campaign. The virtual program will also include words from RMT founder and Center President and CEO Mike Arms, a reading of the official RMT poem and a heartfelt international candle lighting in remembrance of the millions of orphan pets still waiting in shelters for their own forever homes. The public is welcome to log on and watch the program which kicks off Thursday, Sept. 22 at 9 a.m. PST.

Those who wish to register to watch can click here. The public can also get involved by tweeting, tagging, posting and sharing the beauty and life-saving significance of pet adoption using the hashtag #RememberMeThursday and #SeeTheLight and @hwac.

Animal-lovers can also win life-saving funds, toys and food for adoptable pets looking for forever families at their favorite non-profit, pet adoption organization. To enter the Remember Me Thursday Social Media Contest, simply upload your rescue pet’s photo and story to the #RememberMeThursday Photo Wall for a chance to win!* (*Restrictions apply. Final selection remains at the sole discretion of Helen Woodward Animal Center).

For more information on Remember Me Thursday and a full list of participating celebrities and animal welfare organizations, go to Remember Me Thursday.