“Shine a light on orphan pets waiting for forever homes.”

Unwanted.
Stray.
Abused.
Neglected.
In line for euthanasia.

Can we replace those words with:

Forever home.
Soulmate.
Best friend.
Loved.
Protected.

I am so privileged to live in a community that embraces the practice of saving all homeless pets, where none are euthanized for lack of space, where a brilliant program of low-cost (and free) spay & neuter has reduced the unwanted pet population to where our shelters can take animals from shelters in other, less fortunate areas. It’s all because of the ASAP.

“ASAP stands for the Animal Shelter Alliance of Portland, greater metro area. This acronym was chosen because the mission of ASAP is, indeed, one of urgency.
ASAP Vision: We envision a community that values, protects and cares for animals and provides a safety net for homeless and at-risk cats and dogs.
ASAP Mission: Working together, we develop and sustain metro-wide programs and services that reduce the number of homeless cats and dogs, and save the lives of all shelter pets that can be humanely and responsibly rehomed.”

And it’s working. Between the six ASAP shelters, over 12,000 cats and 9,000 dogs were adopted into loving families in 2016 alone. These include seniors and special needs animals as well as the more popular kittens and puppies.

I’ve done my part, adopting many cats from shelters over the years. My newest is 18-year-old Tyler who came to the Oregon Humane Society without a past. He wasn’t a stray, someone brought him, but they had declined to fill out paperwork about themselves or their experience with Tyler, making him an adventure into the unknown.

Things had happened to the big tiger-striped boy. Maybe Tyler was just a shy cat or maybe he had learned not to trust, but when approached, he would cower and hiss. He’s a big cat and a little scary, so for a while cattery put him under limited interaction. It didn’t last long though. We soon we learned that though hissing was his first response, loving was his second. He craved to be petted, and if I scratched his head and sideburns, he would come out with a rumbling purr and a love blink every time.

Initially I adopted Tyler because no 18-year-old cat should have to linger in a shelter, but I soon came to know it was far more than that. He is such a love, so affectionate and caring.

My home was missing him before he came.

I just didn’t know it.

Volunteer – Adopt – Love

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

On September 28, 2017, the entire world will share the importance of pet adoption and shine a light on all orphan pets waiting in shelters and rescues. In 2016, people using #RememberTheRescue and #RememberMeThursday reached nearly 340 million people on social media. Can we get even more people sharing the importance of pet adoption in 2017?